Skin Deep
by Ryoko Metallium
Summary: Arayna lives the life like any other average teenager. Her life is as normal as it can be, excluding the fact she's the daughter of the two most famous people in the galaxy: Commander Shepard and Garrus Vakarian. Warning: Occasional flashback
1. Chapter One: Small Crimes

Title: Skin Deep

Author: Ryoko Metallium

**Author's Notes: This is an idea I've had forming in the back of my head for quite some time. It was one of those ideas that just itched and itched just begging to be scratched until I finally caved. I don't want to give too much away for the first chapter, so I'll just skip through this intro and let you get to readin'!**

**UPDATE! Special thanks to those who spotted my overlooked mistakes and who sent me messages! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME AND ARE ALL GETTING COOKIES!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of Bioware and EA Inc. I do not own these characters. I am only borrowing the characters. I promise that I will give them back**

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**Chapter One: Small Crimes**

At some point in his career, Captain Bailey had considered handing in his letter of resignation, walking away from C-Sec entirely and taking up permanent residence back on Earth with the family. Finally he would cash in on the hideaway in the foothills he had been saving up for while he still had the chance. The thought must have crossed his mind at least four-five times a day. Six at the most, and usually that was after dealing with the many annoyances that came with the job. Such as the merciless work hours, bad pay and the seemingly endless complaints ranging from everything from police brutality to the new security reforms. It seemed like every other day some prissy asari or irritated turian would come marching up to his desk and carp how humans were just of arrogant Neanderthals, shoving their way the ranks and acting like they own the Citadel.

For arguments sake Bailey agreed that a fair number of dirty _human_ cops who liked to overstep the line and mouth off to whomever they wanted, and like a bunch of schoolyard bullies picking on the smart kid, aliens were usually the intended target. But there was only so much that he could do. It wasn't his job to change the minds of bigots and assholes with an entitlement complex, just to keep the peace in the wards. And even that wasn't as appealing as it used to be anymore. The years on the force had turned him into a cranky old fart that was annoyed with the system but needed the paycheck. And his reward for his all his hard work? A son who barely talked to him and an ex-wife even less, but still he made the trip to earth to see them at least once a year. Just a minor and costly price he had to pay over the years on the force.

Yes, as one dedicated cop had once said, Bailey was getting too old for this shit.

Still, even Bailey had to admit that he wasn't sorry being assigned to the wards. He had put in some the best years of his life into this job. He had a more gray hairs now than before and the work still had its downsides, but he at least had the satisfaction of knowing that he was doing his job and that every so often, his job made a difference in someone's lives. For example, a few years back he had a drell kid working for him as part of his probation. The kid, Kolyat was his name, had had a hard life and was just as mad as any brooding teenager he had seen. At first he was defiant, refused any of Bailey's help and downright told him to piss off. It was ironic how much Kolyat's attitude reminded him of Chase, his son; a rude punk with an enormous chip on his shoulder. The kid needed guidance, a sympatric ear and a good kick in the ass.

In the end Bailey must have done something right because the last time he heard from Kolyat, he was just nearing his graduation at the police academy on the Presidium.

His one success story.

And now, Bailey found himself in a very similar situation. Turning away from his console, he spun his chair around and glanced at the pouting teenager behind him. A young girl probably about the age of sixteen or seventeen sat arms crossed and was giving the officer the stink eye while her boots tapped aggregately on the floor. She was chewing on the inside of her cheek, occasionally glaring at the other officers that past her by. She turned her nose at Bailey as their eyes met, and returned to entertaining herself by twirling in circles in her chair.

Bailey couldn't help but scoff. With the dark makeup around her green eyes, the diamond stud in her nose, a tattoo of three blue stars just under her left eye and the bright streaks of blue that tinted her black hair, the girl had the appearance of a common street thug. Surprisingly enough the girl was dressed the formal uniform of Foreman Academy. He recognized the dark blue and gold suit with the gold insignia FA on her chest. The school was in the Teslia ward near the Presidium and was the sister institute to Grissom. It was constructed a couple years back as a solution for families who weren't comfortable of shipping off their kids to some space station or couldn't afford the expensive tuition. However, it later evolved into an exclusive school that usually catered only to kids from high status families of ambassadors, military hotshots or celebrities which completely defeated the purpose of having it. The students who attended were well known for their egocentric and overindulged behavior. Bailey had run in a few of the brats for disorderly conduct only to have their parents bail them out.

But this girl didn't look like she was a member of that kind of crowd.

She had an attitude, that much was certain. But everything else about her screamed she was a loner, an outcast among teenage society.

Bailey wasn't at all surprised.

The captain had known the girl since she was three years old, and her life had been anything but easy.

"You can sit there and sulk all you want but it's not going to change my mind" said Bailey. "I'm not letting you with just a warning this time."

"This is such bullshit Baliey" the teenager cursed, ramming her chair into the table. "You can't fucking keep me here you pig! I didn't fucking do anything wrong!"

"Hey! Watch your language young lady!" he shouted, breaking out his dad voice which seemed to catch them both by surprise. The captain cleared his throat and turned back to his console. "You might as well get comfortable. You're not going anywhere. And would you try sitting still already? You're making me dizzy."

"Fine."

Slamming her chair back into the table, the teenager continued to pout and stare at Bailey as if she was hoping to set his head on fire. As Bailey returned to his work, he couldn't help but think back the many run-ins he had with the teen. She certainly had grown from the pudgy-face kindergartener he used to give a couple of credits to play at the game kiosks. Even then she was a bit of a spit-fire, fully capable of watching out for herself better than even some of the ward duct-rats. It wasn't every day that Bailey had to respond to a disturbance call because a four-year beat up a krogan over some model ships. The girl was a tom-boy since day one, and it came as no surprise to the captain considered who her parents were.

"My dad is going to kill me…" he heard her mutter. Bailey smirked; typical response from a kid afraid of getting into trouble.

"Relax kid; it's not the end of the world. You're acting like this is the first time you've ended up in my office because you started a fight with someone," he said casually, not looking up from his console.

"I didn't start it…not really anyway. It's just…" Her voice wondered off for a second as if she was trying to come up with a practical reason for being there. Unlike all the kids Bailey had run in before, this one actually gave a crap about what their parents would think. Had it been any else, he probably wouldn't have gotten any ounce of remorse out of her. Any other smart ass and he would just be wasting his breath trying to read the right act. In this case there was enough shame and disappointment in her voice that Bailey didn't have to say a word. "My dad is going to kill me…" she said again.

Sighing, Bailey put his work aside and turned his attention back to the teen. She had put her head down on the table, avoiding all eye contact from the other officers. "Alright look here. I'm going to be straight with you. You're in trouble; big trouble this time around. You're looking at possible charges of assault, destruction of Citadel property, assault with a deadly weapon and at least one count of truancy."

"I'm not a fucking 'deadly weapon'," she scoffed, air quoting her words. "That's just some paranoid label that narrow-minded assholes like to place on biotics."

"And even biotics know better than to use their abilities to send someone crashing through a wall into the next room. It's called self control. That's the whole point that you're going to Foreman Academy, right? To learn how to control your biotics?" One of Bailey's best talents was being able to relate to troubled youths. It came from being a dad. Talking to defiant teenagers reminded him of the many run –around conversations he had with his son when he was at that particular age; the age where every kid believes they knew everything about how the world works. "You know, the officer who brought you in told me what happened."

A look of dread came over her that quickly morphed into a defensive anger. "He did huh? And I suppose you're going to chew me out just like he did? Save it Bailey. I already know that I'm going to get an earful from my dad so I don't need a warm up from you, okay"

Bailey chuckled, reminded how the girl could talk rings around him with ease. "Yeah, you probably are. Dads can be like that sometimes. They expect a lot from their kids; sometimes too much." He glanced over his shoulder, making sure that no one was listening in on the conversation. His voice lowed to a more sympathetic tone. "But in all honestly, I can't say that I blame you for doing what you did. In some weird way, I'm actually proud of you."

"Yo-you do? Really?" Clearly that wasn't what she was expecting.

"Look, I've known you since you were old enough to cuss, Arayna," he said very matter-of-factly, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "You've been causing trouble and giving me headaches even before you were able to see over the counter at the souvenirs shop. I swear the reason why I went completely gray is because of you. But, you're not one of those douche-bag punks that deliberately go out looking to start trouble. You just happen to have that bad luck where trouble goes out looking for you."

'_Just like your dad,"_ he thought to himself. _'Must run in the family…"_

The two sat in silence for a moment, each contemplating the correction response to say to each other. "You're not a bad kid, Arie. And just because you didn't have what's considered a 'normal upbringing' to some doesn't give anyone the right to make judgments about things they know nothing about. In my opinion there is no such thing as normal these days. Some people just need to keep their opinions to themselves. If it was me, well, you can bet that I probably would've done more than just punched someone through a wall…"

A sniffle caught the captain's attention. The tough girl façade that the teen had been trying so hard to put up was beginning to crack at little when he saw her wiping her eyes and nose with her sleeve. Still refusing to look at the officer though, trying to preserve her pride, he heard her distinctly whisper, "Thanks Bailey."

"Anytime kid."

"Captain Bailey?"

He turned away and saw one of his lieutenants walking up to his desk. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Sir, the girl's father is here. His ship just docked. He's waiting out by the security station and he's asking to meet you first before we release her into his custody. Should I let him in?"

"Oh god…" the teen groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "I am so fuckin' screwed…"

"Relax," said Bailey. "It's going to be okay. I'll talk him, explain what happened and try to smooth things over before I send you home. Don't worry; your dad will understand."

"You don't know my dad…"

Bailey couldn't help but laugh. "Oh yes I do. More than you know."

Arayna watched as Bailey left with the lieutenant for the docking bay, leaving her to contemplate about what the captain had said. She hated to admit it, but he was right. She lost her temper, _again_, but this time she may have gone overboard. Way overboard. She probably was going to get expelled out of Foreman for this one. The school had a strict zero-tolerance policy towards students using their biotic abilities in any violent manner against their peers or the faculty. She had known other kids that had been kicked out for lesser offences. With her luck, she was looking at a one way ticket to galactic juvey. She had always had a short fuse, a trait that Arayna had tried to keep in check whenever she found herself dealing with people who irritated the hell out of her. Her dad had once said that of all the things she had to inherit from her mom, it had to be her desire to hit things, kick ass and basically spread chaos whenever she went like sunshine. While she was sure he said the jokingly and with love, Arayna was sure that it was the fights that gave her dad the most grief.

Just thinking about the impending tongue-lashing she was going to receive was making her palms sweat and her stomach cramp. Sure, Bailey was probably doing his best trying to defuse the bomb as best he could, and yes the two men had a long history with each other, but Arayna wasn't sure that would be enough to calm her dad. Imagining the tense car ride back home sent chills down her spine…

"Arie?"

She nearly jumped out of her chair the moment she heard Bailey's voice. Turning around, she saw him walking towards her with the lieutenant. Her eye quickly made contact with a tall turian with faded blue clan markings and was fully clad in black and blue armor. A military visor was clipped to the side of his face covering his eye. The other side of his face was heavily scarred. A cybernetic head piece was attached just over his left ear. The turian practically marched into the office like a man on a mission. His steps and stature gave the impression of someone with honorable status and was greatly respected. His bright blue eyes looked straight at Arayna and as he crossed his arms across his armored chest, the two shared a silent stare-down.

"Arayna," he said darkly.

Nervously, she licked her lips and turned her eyes away. "Hi dad."

Saying nothing to else to Arayna, the turian turned to Bailey. "Got something I need sign captain? Release forms?"

"No need. I took care of all the red tape for you after I sent word to the Teliluna, Garrus. I know how much you hate dealing with that crap." said Bailey. "She's being released into your custody prior a hearing with a judge. She's free to go."

"Good." Garrus turned back to Arayna. "Go wait for me by the car. Now."

Grabbing her backpack off the table, Arayna did as she was told and hurried pass her father to the transit station without looking back.

"Hey, go easy on her Garrus. The worst thing you can do in this situation is lose your cool and say something you'll regret later." Bailey walked back to his desk, returning to his work. "From one father to another, take my advice. Hear her out first. This whole thing isn't as cut and dry as you may think."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for handling this one for Bailey."

"My pleasure."

"This jobs just never gets any easier does it? Kinda makes me think I had it easy during my C-Sec days." Garrus sighed, rubbing the back of his leathery neck. "You know, this whole parenthood thing was a lot easier back when she was younger, and when her mother was still around."

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Just as Arayna had anticipated, the car ride to their apartment in the IIRC Ward, closet to the one of the ward arms was probably the tensest and longest drive she had ever experienced. Not to mention boring. It was the beginning of rush hour and the skyline was jammed with bumper to bumper traffic .An hour and half had already passed since they left the station and from Arayna's point of view it didn't seem the truck they were stuck behind was going anywhere. And if the waiting wasn't the worst part, it was the silence.

Neither father nor daughter was saying anything to each other. Arayna had resided herself to stare out her window at the buildings and traffic below her rather than make eye contact with her dad. Garrus apparently was doing the same. He had remained stoic and completely emotionless as he focused his attention on the cars ahead of him rather than on his human girl sitting next to him. The tension was so thick and heavy that it was almost suffocating. At times, Arayna was tempted to reach over and switch on the radio for music just to relieve it. But at the moment, she didn't dare make a move. Occasionally she would glance over at her dad and a nervous chill would travel down her spine.

That was one of the drawbacks at having a turian father. Their hawk-like gaze gave them a natural predator persona and made him look considerably intimidating. Most people found turians and their emotions hard to read at times, but ever since Arayna was little, she had the ability to tell exactly what her father was thinking. Right now, he was pissed along with disappointed. She could sense it, and she couldn't really blame him. Turians raised their young in a very obedient and very discipline environment and were quite particular about the kinds of life choices were available to their children. There was a high code of honor with turian society, something that was practically ingrained in them at birth.

Honor for hierarchy, honor for family.

To his credit, Garrus was never one to play by the rules or follow society's term of normal. Obviously; inter-species parentage wasn't an uncommon thing, except when it came to humans. There was a large grouping of people as well as aliens who discouraged the idea, arguing that children raised by parents of entirely different species would be damaging to their lives. The fear was that eventually children would have a sort of an identity crisis, never truly finding their place in the world. It was that conservative argument that always sparked Arayna's anger. She never had to question her place in the world because of who her parents were.

She was raised no different than an asari child would be if they had a salarian or a krogan for a father.

Her father didn't raise her to be turian. She may have been given a turian name when she was born but that's not what he wanted her to be. Not once in her childhood did her father treat her different because she was human or he ever force or put pressure on Arayna to become something she wasn't because it was what was expected of her. He let her be whomever she wanted, he gave her freedom. Even so, she couldn't help but feel like that this latest incident had brought severe shame on their family. If there was one thing she hated about herself, it was being a disappointment to her dad.

She must have really stepped in it this time. This silent treatment was torture. God, why wouldn't he talk to her?

Eventually the traffic started moving again and within a matter of minutes, the sky car arrived at their apartment. It was a small but moderate place that wasn't a far walk from the Presidium and it overlooked the Lecuria Park near the Dilinaga concert hall. They lived in considerably high-class neighborhood with other high-paid families. It was like the Beverly Hills of the Citadel. As the car came to a stop in the garage and the engine cooled, both Garrus and Arayna sat in stillness, both waiting for the other to make a move or say something.

After ten minutes passed, Garrus spoke first.

"Before you say anything, I want to make something perfectly clear," he started to say, darkly. "When I first told you about this new position I'd be taking as Commander of the Teliluna, I explained that I would be away from home for extended leave. That meant that you would be on your own for good week, maybe more. Furthermore I specifically remember saying that while I was gone, I expected to you to be on your best behavior and not get into any sort of trouble. You promised me that you would. I trusted you to keep that promise, Arie."

"I know…" she replied. It was always the same with Garrus. All his fatherly lectures were more like getting a tongue lashing from your commanding officer.

"Alright, "he continued. "So tell me why I received a message from your school, while I was thousands of light years away in some far off nebula saying that you were being suspended for not just using your biotics while on campus, but also for attacking your instructor? Then no more than five minutes later I get another message from Bailey saying that he has you in his office?" The tone of his voice rose with irritation. "Had I known that this would happen, I would've made arrangement to have someone stay with you."

"Pft, I don't need a babysitter. I can handle myself."

"Evidently not, otherwise you wouldn't be in this situation right now."

Another moment of awkward silence past between them.

"I'm sorry dad."

Garrus sighed heavily as he ground the back of his teeth. He couldn't honestly say that he was angry, more like tired. This wasn't the first of challenges he had to deal with it in his lifetime but it was by far the most tiring. With a demanding job that required an enormous amount of time away from home and his family, trying to raise a teenager with violent and sometimes dangerous mood swings and all the while doing this on his own. It was times like this that he really start missing her mother…

"Dad?" The child-like fright in his daughter's voice brought him back.

"We'll talk about this later," he said, opening up the car hatch and stepping out. "Right now just go to your room and stay there until I call you."

Arayna scowled and jumped out of the car. "Fine. Didn't expect you to hear me out anyway."

As he watched Arayna stomped her way into their apartment, Garrus let out another heavy sigh and looked up towards the sky, shaking his head in defeat.

"I'm trying, Shepard. I really am. But every day Arie becomes more and more like you and...it's scary actually. Beating up teachers; you must be so proud."

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**Reviews are greatly welcomed and encouraged!**


	2. Chapter Two: Let's Give Them Something

Title: Skin Deep

Author: Ryoko Metallium

**Author's Notes: Wow! I didn't expect to get such posititve reviews for this story! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and alerted! Here's the second chapter that everyone is waiting for. Sorry for the delay. _Fable 3_ just came out and I've been sort preoccupied with that. I hope this chapter came out alright since I spent a large amount of time trying to get the dialouge right. Surprisingly it's really hard to write my Shepard. I think my main problem was that I was torn between either writing her as how I wanted her to be or how she's played in the game. Either way, here's hoping I did alright with her and especially Garrus.**

**Special thanks goes out to ghost.713 for helping me with some of the important details surrounding the Mass Effect universe. Love you ghost!**

**You may have noticed that I borrowed some of the dialouge from the game (okay, a lot of dialouge). Couldn't help it!**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of Bioware and EA Inc. I do not own these characters. I am only borrowing the characters. I promise that I will give them back**

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**Chapter Two: Let's Give Them Something to Talk About**

**Palaven; Eighteen Years Earlier**

Twilight was falling.

As the sun was beginning its evening decent over the rocky ridges of Orphus Peaks, the horizon was bathed in a warm glow of colors of coopery-gold, with streaks of rouge, violet and pink. Palms trees were silhouetted black against the bright light. Above the trees, the sky was starting to dot with the slight pinpricks of light; stars shining their brightest through the darkness of space. The air was perfumed with the richness of summer; a tropical humid scent of flowers, wet earth and heat. In the distance, the roaring song of the sea sang with waves crashing on the beaches. Even as nightfall was beginning to materialize, the atmosphere was still felt muggy.

Garrus loved watching the ambiance whenever he visited his parent's villa, enjoying the sweet of the air while relaxing the sun. The fragrance of childhood he used to call it. It had been a long time since he last visited the place, but the scenery gratefully had not changed in the slightest. Some the trees were a bit overgrown, slightly obscuring his view of the city. He used to be able to walk out on the balcony and see clear across the treetops towards the city skyline of Aculus. Thick shrubs, moss and vines had about taken over the balcony railing, making it look like a lush jungle.

Garrus made a mental note to notify the groundkeeper.

This place held a lot of memories for Garrus, growing up in the light of his well-respected but firm father. When he was younger, he found his father popularity sometimes unapproachable. He had known his father to be a professional at almost all hours, whether it was on duty and off. Completely no-nonsense, he always maintained a disciplined manner even around his family. Marna, his mother, was just the polar opposite of him, more spirited and energetic and always trying to raise her children in not such a ridged environment. Some of the older elder turians used to say she was unique in her teachings, which was the polite and discrete way of saying she was a radical. It was baffling how two people so different in nature could come together or could have any sort of attraction. Garrus liked to think that maybe there was a part of his father who didn't want to conform the natural order of things. A part of him that maybe wanted to be free from the system that dictated so much of his life.

The turian's last visit to the villa was just after his father's retirement from C-sec. Solana was just a hatchling at the time and Garrus was five. He could remember that being the only time he saw his father allow himself to unwind. During one of their summer trips, they came to the villa for some well-earned R&R. That day always stood out in Garrus' mind. His father took them to the festivals in the city where they had the time of their lives. It was the most fun he remembered having as a kid. They ate like kings at the expensive diners. They played for hours at the game kiosks and rode the rides until they were dizzy. And in the evening, they sat on the beach on watched the fireworks.

That was a good day for Garrus.

It was brief and rare moment of family bonding that he would never forget.

Getting in one more deep breath of air, Garrus walked away from the balcony and back into the house. He wandered calmly through the hallways with his hands in his pockets, eventually finding his way into the den. He stopped just short of the entry way, standing in silence as he spotted a human woman standing by the window. She didn't seem to notice his presence at all. Her attention was mainly on the scenery outside. She was dressed in plain pair of grey drawstring sweatpants and a dark navy blue oversized t-shirt. Her socks were mismatched; one red and one black. Her black hair hung loosely off her shoulder, damp from a recent shower and shiny in the evening glow. Her arms were hugging herself tightly as if she was cold.

As he stood there in a captivating daze, Garrus couldn't help but smile.

Shepard looked beautiful, as she always did in his eyes.

Commander Shepard. She was captain of the Normandy, the first human Specter and savior of the Citadel as well as the whole freakin' universe. She was the protector of millions if not billions who owed her their lives in the war against the Reapers.

She was a hero.

She was a legend.

She was also his mate, his wife.

The notion of it all was still head-spinning for Garrus, but there it was. They had only been married for about a year and a half but their courtship had been going on ever since Shepard recruited him to hunt down Saren. Back then he was just her subordinate, eager to go out and bring justice to corrupt galaxy. He was a young then, reckless and naïve. She taught him how not to sacrifice the innocent to achieve the goal, about finding the best way through the system and not the fastest. Shepard made him want to be great at what he did, but their relationship never evolved beyond anything more than a respected friendship between squad mates.

He idolized her.

And then she died.

Overnight, the system tried to sweep away her memory and everything she stood as if she didn't exist or didn't matter. They tried to ruin her. So Garrus rebelled against the bureaucratic system, and choose his own path. All the while keeping Shepard at the forefront of his mind, letting her spirit guide his hand. When she came for him in that bunker on Omega that day, it was like old times. The two of them were together again fighting side by side and dealing out justice with every bullet.

He walked into hell with her without a second thought in their fight against the Collectors.

He stood by her in the grueling and costly war against the Reapers.

And when it was all said and done, he asked her to marry him.

She said yes. They were bonded in a private ceremony about a month later.

And right now they were having their first big fight.

For the record, Garrus was hiding in the shadows not just because he wanted to stare at Shepard adoringly. He was hiding. He was no fool. The turian had been around long enough to know that when Shepard was pissed, it was in a person's best interest to just grab your shit and head for higher ground. The now extinct Reapers were proof of the extent of Shepard's anger. But by the looks of it, it didn't seem like Shepard was border lining crazy lady on the loose with nuke strapped to her back, but more settled on mildly ticked while dishing out the silent treatment.

That was one good sign for Garrus. Last he checked, it had been a good two and half hours since either one of them had spoken. He had hoped that was a considerable amount of time for his mate to cool down but with Shepard, one could never be too careful. The problem wasn't so much as gathering the courage to approach her (while daunting notwithstanding), it was finding the guts to say those two little words every man had trouble saying to their wife.

'I'm sorry.'

Spirits, and his day was going so well. It had started out with Garrus bringing Shepard to the villa in hopes of a romantic weekend away from all their responsibilities. The villa hadn't been used in years, which meant the two of them would be completely alone. Unsupervised_. _The mere thought of it made him feel like some horny teenager, not that that was such a terrible thing. Everything was going according to his plan at first. He showed her the sights on Palaven, the best attraction spots and places of significant importance in turian culture. The two of them together were quite the spectacle themselves. He lost count at how many gawking stares they got from passerby's who clearly weren't used to seeing such a bonded pair. After few hours of sightseeing, Garrus brought his mate back for a home cooked meal. He had been practicing how to prepare human food and was eager to show off what he learned.

It must have been somewhere in between the food and the conversations about the future that the evening turned. In his defense, Shepard started it. She had blindsided him with a complete out of the blue question concerning their future together. More specifically, she had asked him where he stood on the subject of having kids. Now it was common knowledge that it was biologically impossible for humans and turians to reproduce. Even with the kind of advancements there were in the medical field today, conception for half bred child wasn't in the cards for either them, which made Garrus wonder why Shepard would even bring the matter up in the first place.

They talked about it for awhile, exchanging cleaver and creative ideas of what a turian-human hybrid would look like. Until finally Shepard brought up the notion that it was possible for them to have a child that the conversation got interesting. She brought up the notion of artificial insemination. She summed up the process as using the donated seed from another male, preferably another human, to help her conceive.

Shepard made it sound completely normal, and by human standards it probably was.

Too bad Garrus didn't see it that way. The whole process to him sounded gross, uncomfortable and wrong. Just the thought of another male's seed impregnating his mate set something off in Garrus that infuriated him, awaking his primal and territorial nature. It disgusted him. Such a procedure was not practiced amongst turians. The notion of one mate carrying another mate's child was considered a disgrace upon the family's principle. If it were to happen, the matter was usually kept under tight wraps with the strictest of secrecy, especially with eminent families. The mother was given the best of comfort under the child was born, and then paid at suitable sum to go away forever. Garrus knew it was wrong, but he couldn't shake the sigma that this decision would bring. The conversation crumbled after that. Harsh, heated words were exchanged that ended in both of them walking away. There was no romantic dinner as he planned, just an angry mate refusing to talk to him for two hours.

Now it was time to bite the bullet and confront his beautiful and scary mate.

Garru approached Shepard as quietly and carefully as possible. She wasn't armed of course but that didn't mean that she couldn't still kick his ass. Her back was turned to him so she didn't see him coming as he slowly walked to her. She seemed relaxed and tranquil as if the sunset was helping to keep her calm. With a sigh, Garrus reached out his arms and wrapped them around Shepard's middle as he pulled her close against his chest. She didn't fight him surprisingly. His scarred cheek nestled against hers while his throat hummed with a deep purr.

"You still mad at me?" he asked softly.

At first Shepard said nothing. She refused to look at her husband as if she still wanted to enjoy being pissed at him. But gradually she came around. Her arm reached up and curled around Garrus' head bringing face closer to hers. She nuzzled him back, kissing his scars gently as she stroke the flesh under his fringe. "No, I'm not," she said with a smile.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad to hear it. I was starting to think the only way I was going to get you talking to me again was if I asked you to a sparring match."

"You know me so well, do you?"

"I know you like hitting things. Let's put it that way."

For awhile the couple stood silent watching the last few minutes of daylight slowly die away and the deep colors of nightfall take over while taking comfort in being with each other. The scent of Shepard's bath wash and shampoo, a mixture of honey and cream, enticed Garrus' senses and making it really hard to think.

"I hope that I didn't ruin your plans Garrus. I know you went to a lot of trouble to make this night to be a special for us."

"Don't worry about it. No damage done, but that's more than I can say for dinner though. I guess I picked a bad time to try and make your mother's special dish huh?"

Shepard turned her head, giving Garrus an impressed look. "You're kidding me_? _My mother guarded her _Agnolotti_ _al Plin_ recipe like it was Fort Knox. She wouldn't even teach me how to cook it._"_

"Maybe because you can't cook Shepard," he joked. "I talked to your mom right before we left, told her what I was planning for us this weekend. She said since it was going to be a special evening, she suggested the best. She mentioned that it was your favorite and that you haven't had since your grandmother was around so I figured now would be a good time."

"You did _nana _proud."

Chuckling softly, Garrus quickly changed tones and spoke with all seriousness as he held Shepard tighter. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry for flying off the handle like that. I should've acted like that with you."

Shepard snickered. "If it makes you feel better I did sort of spring it on you out of nowhere. Maybe I should've waited until this weekend was over with." She pressed her forehead to his in a turian-style kiss. "I'm sorry Garrus. I didn't know talking about having kids would make you feel uncomfortable. Had I did, I wouldn't have brought it up at all."

"No! No, you didn't do anything wrong Shepard! Yeah, you did catch me off guard but it didn't…" Garrus sighed heavily. His thoughts wandered off as his arms unwrapped around Shepard and his feet dragged themselves over to the couch. He collapsed on the cushions, his hands rubbing his face. Shepard watched him inquisitively. "I've been…thinking about what we're talking about."

Shepard inhaled sharply and folded her arms. "Okay. What's on your mind?"

Garrus had been thinking long and hard about what he wanted to say to Shepard, and now he could sense his courage starting to falter. Everything he was planning to say was gone. He was drawing a complete blank. '_How do I approach this'_ he wondered '_without making her mad at me again_? "I've had some time to think about what you asked me. I have to admit; I never expected you to be the kind of person you'd be thinking about having kids. You've never stuck me the maternal type."

"That makes two of us," she grumbled nonchalant.

"So why even bring it up if you're not even sure this is something you want?" he asked.

Shepard sighed and began pacing around the room. "I don't know. But you're right. I've never had any kind of a desire to be a mother in my entire life nor have I ever made any indication that I wanted kids. Maybe that's because I was always involved in something that required my constant attention. Being an Alliance soldier then getting pegged for the Spectres, factoring in trying to save the galaxy from the Reapers. That didn't really me enough time to consider the idea much thought, now did it?" She shook her head as she laughed to herself. "I was the ultimate career woman then, working to have it all."

Shepard stopped dead in her tracks as her voice dropped, sounding melancholy. "And then I died. I don't want to sound completely cliché but something like that can change a person. I've had to put my entire life on hold to do what needed to be done, for the greater good of everyone. I think this one time I want to be just a little bit selfish. I want a family, Garrus."

"A family huh. Would that even be possible for us?"

"Well, I would need to check with a doctor first," she started to explain. "It's a standard practice, like getting a physical before being released into active duty. They would need to check to see if I'm even capable of getting pregnant or carrying to term…"

"That's not…what I meant" Garrus said darkly.

Shepard gave him another inquisitive look. "Then what is it? Come on Garrus, tell me what you're thinking. I could really use your opinion here." Her hand reached to out to stroke his fringe lovingly. "If-if you're not comfortable with this idea, it's okay you know. I don't want to pressure you into something that you don't think you're ready for."

Garrus suddenly bolted up from the couch, catching Shepard off guard as he began to walk about the room in a nervous trot. "I wish I could tell you want you want to hear, Shepard. I really do," he said. "I wish that I could tell you that I don't have doubts or misgivings about this…. Spirits Shepard, don't you think we're just a little bit crazy for even thinking about this?"

"Not really," Shepard shrugged. "We've done crazier things in the past, you know. Remember your Archangel days?"

That earned her a laugh from Garrus. "Those were some good times, weren't they?"

"Yeah, that's a typical date night for us. Now stop tip-toeing around the subject already, Garrus. Spit it out."

"You want the truth?"

"It would be nice."

"Okay. I'm afraid Shepard."

"Afraid of what Garrus?"

Garrus sighed heavily. "Afraid of the unknown. Afraid that I won't be a good enough parent."

Looking very empathetic, Shepard moved towards her husband watching his expression carefully. Gathering up whatever bravery he could muster, Garrus spoke freely and hoped for that he didn't stick his foot in his mouth for a second time. "I don't know any other way to say this without sounding like a complete xenophobic ass. Raising a child is not what has me worried. I think I would be able to handle that part without any problem. However it's the fact that in our case, I would be helping you raise a _human _child that's got me spooked." Inattentively, Garrus reached for the dog tag hanging off his neck with the name 'Shepard, Katherine' stamped into the metal, a symbol of their commitment to each other, based on their own design. "Look, I can understand you wanting this as a way of having something a little closer to home in this marriage. I don't blame for that. I think I would want the same if I was in your situation."

"Garrus, it's not about…"

"Wait, let me finish," he said. "I've spent two hours outside trying to come up with the right words to say and if I don't say them now, I'm only going to start babbling." Something in Garrus' gut told him that he was already there, but he pressed on anyway. "I've never considered or even entertained the idea of kids before in my life. You know that not everyone is very supportive towards the idea of inter-species parentage nowadays."

"Yeah, I read the reports," said Shepard as she began quoting off the arguments from memory. "'A turian child raised in a human environment cannot hope to successfully thrive within the hierarchy as would a human child raised within a turian environment. The lack of social stability for the child would ultimately lead to isolation from both species.' Pft, frankly I find it funny that most of these opinions are coming from the human conservative groups and the turians hierarchy. The two species in the universe that haven't agreed on any kind of matter since the First Contact War. Nobody start fires when an asari and a turian want to have a kid but when it's a human…it's a red alert for the ethics barricade. Hell, in the eyes of the hierarchy I'm not even your wife!"

Shepard tried to hide her irritation behind another snicker but Garrus saw straight through it. There was hurt in her eyes, along with disgust and sadness. "I'm not your wife…I'm just your human whore. I'm not your mate, just something you give around for your own indulgence."

Faster than she could blink, Garrus bridge the gap between them in three swift steps and wrapped his arms around Shepard in a close, fierce hug. "Those bigots can go to hell for all I care," he growled. "To me they're nothing but a league of hypocrites. For all their talk about traditions and honor…there's nothing honorable about them when they try to dictate who someone can or can't spent their lives with."

"Wow, never thought I would see the day you would speak against the hierarchy Garrus."

Garrus pulled back from his embrace and gazed at Shepard lovingly. He twirled the soft strands of black hair carefully between his sharp talons. "I'm not a very good turian. You know that Shepard. I quit my position at C-Sec because I hate playing by their rules. I became a vigilante, joined a pro-human terrorist organization, and later married outside my own species. By the standards that the hierarchy up holds and given my actions over the past couple of years, my citizenship should've been revoked a long time ago. The only reason it hasn't is because of the kinds of patronage my father has. But this isn't about that. I stop being loyal when they try to tell what I feel for you is wrong. This conversation is about us."

Shepard studied Garrus closely. Her fingers touched the scars on his broken mandible carefully like she would if they were fresh. She realized that she was asking a lot of Garrus to consider starting a family with her. Despite what he was telling her, she knew that there was some part of him that thought this could only end in disaster. And to his credit, it probably would. Shepard made a mental note that if Garrus didn't want this, she wouldn't bring it up again. But somehow, she had the feeling that he was actually given the idea some considerate thought.

"You do realize that if we going through with this, it's going to drastically change our lives?" he said. "Starting a family; it's a big step for us. Raising kids isn't like taking down a Reaper fleet you know."

"Of course. This time there's going to be diaper changes, midnight feedings and a lot of sleepless nights involved" Shepard explained. "But I figured that if you and I save the universe from certain destruction, then maybe we can do this with no problem."

"That's a very optimistic approach Shepard." Garrus breathed in a deep sigh and shook his head. "Okay. Let's do it."

Shepard's face lit up. "Really? Are you sure? It's okay if you want to have a chance to think it over. I don't want you to have regrets."

"I've never been one to disagree with you. I've known for too long that once you've decided on something, it's almost impossible to change your mind. Part of me still thinks we're crazy for considering this, but the more I think about it the more it feels right to me." He shrugged. "Just…let me do the research first, find out how this thing is going to work out and what it is I need to do for my part. And could I make a request?"

"We're not naming the kid Garrus junior if that's what you want."

"Very funny, but that's not it." Taking Shepard's hand, he moved with her to the couch and sat her comfortable as possible on his lap. "I want a few moments that are just for us Shepard. So...could we not tell anyone that we're starting a family, especially any of the crew? At least for awhile, until we know for sure. I know you love them, they're like family to you, but you know that every single one of them is a gossip. The last thing I want is our business being reported by some dogmatic news reporter like that Khalisah al-Jilani woman and have it turned into some kind of scandal."

His blue eyes, those hypnotic eyes reflected compassion, hope and longing as his hands cupped her face. He held Shepard in his gaze and his staid expression told her that this is was what he wanted. There would be no regrets later on. "I don't want anyone to hurt you, Shepard. Ever."

"I know." Shepard leaned her head close and rested it against his neck, feeling the vibrate heat warming her skin. "I know you wouldn't let that happen, Garrus. You'd knock out that nosey bitch's teeth out before she got the chance to utter the word 'um'."

His eyes sparkled dangerously as he laughed."True, but that's only if you beat me to it, Shepard.

"Alright alright, we'll wait."

Garrus purred softly as Shepard's lips made contact with the leathery flesh of his neck. His neck had always been one of his erogenous spots that she loved to exploit. He exhaled a trembling breath while kissed him. His arms enclosed around his lithe waist, keeping her close and secure she couldn't escape. Not that he suspected she would. As they sat together, enjoying the stillness of the villa, the heat of Palaven and the warmth of being within each other's embrace, the significance of it all came together for Garrus.

He and Shepard were going to start a family together.

He was going to be father.

An array of different emotions washed over him all at once like a powerful wave.

He felt terrified.

He felt nervous.

He felt excitement.

He felt happy, happier than he had ever felt before.

Bigotry be damned. This was what he wanted. He deserved this, him and Shepard. It was then that Garrus resolved to do whatever was in his power to make this work, to protect his mate and his child from anyone who would do them harm, and to be the best father that possibly could. He promised that his child would never feel like an outcast or like some dirty secret that needed to be hidden. The more he thought about it, the more excited he found himself becoming.

He smiled to himself as his talons brushed back Shepard's hair. Her breathing had become slow and very steady. She had fallen asleep. Choosing not to wake her by carrying her to their bedroom, Garrus hugged her close and allowed his thoughts to try and picture the tiny version of his mate that had yet to be born.

This may not have been what he expected to happen on this getaway, but it was still good just the same.

* * *

**Reviews and comments are greatly welcomed!**

**Author's Notes: When I first started writing Garrus' childhood, I have to admit that I pretty much made it up as I went. I didn't know much about the planets landmarks and such, and I realized about five paragrapths in that I pretty much made Garrus sound like some stuffy rich boy and was going to scrap it. But the more I thought about it, I started thinking that with the kind of credetials his father has in the turian community it would seem that his family would live in generous comfort. **

**I also went on a pretty big leap that turian society would have a problem against one of their own raising another man's child. Especially one out of their species and a human. I don't know; they don't strike me as the type who would encourage that sort of thing. I could be wrong, but for the sake of this story I'm going to say that the idea is taboo amongest their society. **

**Expect some delay in updates. Currently I'm addicted to _Fable 3_ and the need to write Ben Finn fanfiction is strong with this one. I'll try my best to resist the urge, but I'm not making any promises.**


	3. Chapter Three: Conversations

Title: Skin Deep

Author: Ryoko Metallium

**Author's Notes: Whew, this one took me awhile! That's the problem whenever you map out a long story in your head. You easily forget how long it's going to be until you actually sit down and how to write it. You forget all the little details you have to add in and how much you want to explain. I'm just glad that I finally got this finished before the holiday was over. **

**Big thanks goes out to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and alerted this story thus far! Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. Be warned that it tends to drag just a little bit in the middle. It was completely unavoidable unfortunately since there was so much detail that need to be added in. The conversations are long but for a reason. Bear with them. It's not so bad actually lol**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of Bioware and EA Inc. I do not own these characters. I am only borrowing the characters. I promise that I will give them back.**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Conversations**

Garrus liked to think that in the last eighteen years his cooking skills had improved, at least to a certain extent.

He would be the first to admit that he was no master chief by any means. Truth be told, he had always been a terrible cook. It had never been one of his best attributes. He possessed the uncanny talent to either burn meals to an unrecognizable crisp or creating bland and completely tasteless disasters. It was sort funny; ask him to snipe a merc from two hundred years and he could get it done with little problem. But ask him to roast a turkey and it was game over. Garrus would later on take comfort in the knowledge that his talents in the kitchen were nowhere as bad as his late mate's.

A rather comforting memory for the turian. Shepard would jokingly tell him that he was the sort who could set cornflakes on fire. And after the first couple of inferno's he would have to agree. But then again, this was coming from a woman who couldn't use the microwave without causing some kind of massive explosion. If it hadn't been for the nights of takeout food, the couple and their child probably would have starved.

After Shepard died, being able to cook a descent meal just another thing to add to the list of responsibilities Garrus had to take on. Much of his thanks had to go to Hannah Shepard, his mother-in-law. She was patient and tolerant enough to teach her turian son-in-law the ropes in cooking. Her almost daily visits to his home following her daughter's death, checking up on him and her grandchild was probably what saved him from losing his mind. By the enticing aroma of steaks sizzling on the stove, the ting from the microwave that let him know the rice and vegetables were done, it was a fair assumption that all of grandma Shepard's teaching hadn't gone to waste.

Down the hall, Garrus could hear very loud punk music coming from Arayna's room. It was surprising that none of the neighbors came by to complain about the noise. The rhythmic beats that vibrated through the walls and the strong lyrics gave him an insight into his daughter's current mood. Arayna had shut herself up in her room as soon as they got home, retreating into her own world and shutting out her father. Typical teenage behavior, especially for his daughter so Garrus choice to give her space that she wanted hoping that the time apart would calm her temper.

As the stakes, rice and vegetables were moved to two separate plates, Garrus paused. His hands rested on top of the counter, his head bowed while his thoughts began to drift as they often would. A desolate sigh escaped him. It had been almost fourteen years since Shepard died. Fourteen years since he last held his mate in his arms and his daughter last got to speak to her mother. So much time, and the loss was still raw. Since her death every day had been struggle. A struggle to go on with life and have a sense of normalcy all the while trying to keep his family afloat. Until recently, Garrus was supporting his family with a meager paycheck he was getting working in C-sec again. He hated it. He swore to himself that he would never go back to such a shit-job, but it was a job that paid nonetheless.

He was hoping that this new position he had been offered would help secure his family financial woes. The Teliluna was a highly decorated starship with a mixture crew of turians, humans and quarians, well known for its' heroic stand during the Reaper War (as it had come to be known). Since the war, there was great concern over the security and safety of the mass relays after they were revealed to the public creations of the Reapers. Even with their defeat and the council's assurance that the relays were perfectly safe; a movement was organized to have extra precautions to be put into place in hopes of stopping the paranoia. The Teliluna was one frigate in a fleet of ten that ran a checkpoint with the Terminus System, monitoring the relays points in the Omega Nebula.

Understandably the presence of Alliance ships in the 'criminal scum central' caused some civil unrest. There had been several incidents of Blood Pack and the Alliance firing on each other in dragged out dog fights. To counter this, the council entered into a strange contract with the Terminus. The pirates still retained the freedom to do business just as they always had but the Alliance reserved the right to stop and search their ships at the checkpoint and even restrict access through the relays if they deemed it necessary. In Garrus' opinion, it was one of those laws that was a long time coming. It actually surprised him that the resident queen of Omega, Aria, actually agreed to this. But like most laws, it was still flawed. Criminals still found ways to smuggle their goods through the checkpoints. The crime rate had grown even higher and it wasn't no shock to him when he heard reports of pay offs.

That's what to the former commander of the Teliluna apparently. He accepted a bribe from a batarian of four thousand credits each time the pirate wanted to transport a shipment of red sand through the relay. Garrus was offered the position after the commander was caught stoned on duty. He knew the job was going to be dangerous. But his knowledge of the inner workings of Omega from his old Archangel days would probably come in handy in keeping at least to good side of his face shot at.

With another sigh, Garrus walked down the hallway towards Arayna's room. He stopped short of her door, noticing right away the auto lock had been activated. With the way the music was making the walls shake, he doubted she would hear him if he knocked. He could've easily hacked the door open but decided not. Parent rule number one: walking into your brooding teenager daughter's room unannounced will earn you something thrown at you head. His omni-tool glowed to life as he sent a quick message:

_Dinner's ready, _it read. _Whenever you're done pouting, come and eat. _

He was mindful not to mention the fact he still wanted to talk to Arie about the incident at school. There was no avoiding the subject forever, but he knew better than to confront her when she was still on the warpath.

Like mother, like daughter.

Arayna shared many of Shepard's personality traits, even if she wasn't aware of it. One such trait of course was her rebel nature. Sure, Garrus could chalk up all the notes from her instructors requesting a meeting or the times he had to stop by Bailey's office for some reason or other (such as today) as part of the teenage experience in life. He was even inclined to behavior steamed from losing her mother at a young age. On the other hand Arayna had always been the sort that marched to her own tune, setting her own rules while being completely unafraid of whom she offended. She was avid about everything she did, iron-willed and would defeat her ideals to anyone, just like Shepard.

Garrus would probably never admit it but in a strange way he was glad that Arayna got into as many fights as she did. It made him recall that same feeling of pride he had back in his days fighting with his mate.

Just as he was walking back to the kitchen, he heard the loud music finally go silent and Arie's door chimed open. She hesitantly walked out of her room, the rebellious pout still on her face and arms crossed tightly against her chest. She had a bit of a swagger in her steps as she was still tried to maintain her teenage insolence front.

"What?" she said dryly.

"Dinner. It's ready."

She glanced at the plate of chopped up meat sitting on the counter. "It looks disgusting."

Garrus followed his daughter's gaze and smirked. "It should. It's not yours," he said. "That one is for the cat. Yours is on the table."

Arayna tried to hide her embarrassment by taking the plate of meat and placing next to a small bed on the floor where a fat black and white cat was sleeping. The little cat's ears twitched and she meowed with hunger. "Here you go; eat up Tank."

The whole dinner was just as Garrus had expected it to be: silent and tense just as the drive home had been. They sat at opposite ends of the table with Arayna being withdrawn, slouching in her chair while she poked and prodded at her food with her fork. Her gaze was downward; avoiding eye contact with Garrus whose eyes were watching her carefully as if he was waiting for her to say something first. She chewed on her lower lip tensely until finally her father ended the silence by making light conversations.

"Your grandmother called."

"Mmm," she replied.

"She sent me a message," said Garrus. "She says she's going to be on the Citadel for a couple of days next week. Some kind a get together with some of her old crew mates. Maybe you'd want to spend some time with her before she goes backs to Earth?"

"Mmm."

_Yeah, this is going well._ Garrus cut into his steak, tasting the meat and making a face when he bit into one of the hard parts."I just figured that you might to see her. The two of you haven't seen each other since your last birthday."

Arayna poked at her vegetables, moving them back and forth on her plate. "Mmm."

Sighing heavily, Garrus dropped his fork and folded his hands on the table. "Alright, enough of the silent treatment. I want us to talk."

His daughter's glanced at him once then returned back to her game of veggie hockey. "I thought we were talking."

"No, we're not," he said with some annoyance in his voice. "I'm trying to make conversation with you and you are deliberately ignoring me and giving me an attitude. Now I get that after what happened today, you're probably don't feel particularly talkative. That's fine, but I was hoping to give you the benefit of the doubt."

"What do you mean?" Arayna looked suspiciously at Garrus as she nibbled on a carrot slice.

Garrus sighed again. "You're just like your mother. She used to go about things her own way with little to no regard of who she offended. She could be a regular bitch when she needed to be, so long as she got the results she wanted. But she was only like that when she had a reason. You're exactly the same way, Arie, and I get the feeling that there's more to this story than from what I've heard.

Garrus could see from softened expression that she was starting to come around. Her defenses were beginning to waver as she listened to her father.

"Just tell me what happened. I promise I won't get mad."

At first Arayna was hesitant to say anything. Garrus' mood had obviously calmed since earlier but she was still feeling intimidated. She staled for awhile, poking at her steak or scratching behind Tank's ear as she came around looking for scraps. Garrus waited patiently, mindful not to force the moment. It didn't take long before Arayna started narrating her day.

"Okay so, our instructor Mrs. Sierra has been out for a couple days because she's on maternity leave right?" she started to say. "Well, we got a substitute today. Some asari matriarch fresh off the space shuttle. I think her name is Una? Ulia?"

"Unara T'Zeli?" asked Garrus.

"Yeah. You know her?"

Garrus nodded. "I know _of_ her. She's a well-respected professor and emerita from the University of Serrice on Thessia. Her dissertation surrounding biotic development in human children made her pretty popular a hundred years ago. Last I heard she had accepted a teaching position at the Grissom Academy."

"Maybe she should've stayed here then," she grumbled under her breath. She casually tossed a piece of her steak at Tank who was scratching at her pant leg. "Anyway it happened during drills, when we were learning how to maintain barriers. There are these three new kids that just transferred over from Grissom. They're like eighth-graders and just got their implants like last week right? Normally kids who just got hooked up are only suppost to stick to the easy lessons like trying to move pencils with their mind or throw stuffed toys around, just until their systems get used to the amps. Everyone knows they can't expect kids that young to be able to warp without frying their brains, but apparently someone forgot to tell that to little miss matriarch."

Garrus' mandibles flickers in intrigued. "Why? What happened?"

"She requested that kids in the lower grades be brought out to the field so they could train with us. She wasn't supposed to do that." She cut another piece of her steak and was about to throw it to the cat when her father stopped her.

"Stop feeding her already. Damn animal is getting huge. She's getting fat enough to the point where we can eat her tomorrow."

The cat hissed in response.

"Don't worry girl. He didn't mean it."

"Like hell I didn't. Go on, finish what you were saying Arie."

"Well, we were nearing the end of drills when we heard the sub yell something at this one boy. I didn't hear what she said exactly but she sounded pretty irritated. I guess she freaked them out pretty bad because they tried to walk off the field but she wouldn't let them. So Sura, Mike and me went over to ask what the problem was. Dad, this boy had like the worst nosebleed you had ever seen."

"A nosebleed?"

Arayna made a face and shook her head as she recalled the image. "The front of his uniform was full of blood, he was crying and that damn woman wasn't' doing anything for him. Mike tried asking the kid what happened but the sub told us to mind our own business and go back to drills. But I wasn't stupid. We knew that that only happens when you overwork your biotics or put too much strain on your amps before you've had the chance to get use to them. It turns out that the sub was trying to teach them how to create and maintain singularities."

"What?" Garrus' voice registered clear outrage. He may not have been an expert in biotics, but he knew enough that singularities were a very advance power to have and require a lot of brain power to conduct properly. Not every biotic was capable maintaining that kind of strength, much less a child still in the process of learning how to control his powers. "That woman could've killed the boy!

"I know!" Arayna shouted in agreement. "What twelve-year old knows how to form singularity? I mean without giving himself his first aneurism?"

"And is that when you got into that fight?"

She sighed heavily, slouching in her chair and resting her cheek in her palm. "No, no I actually… held back. I knew what would happen if I lashed out so I let it go. After drills, we were sent back to class for history and politics class. But Mike was pissed at what the sub was trying to do since he's got a sister that's in the same grade. He actually threatened her, saying if she ever thought about doing what she did to his sister, then he would make her sorry. The sub just laughed at him. She said she didn't expect him to understand what she was trying accomplish with the way the school coddles us. She went on this huge rant about how the education of human biotics was a joke and how we were eons away from even coming close to matching the asari."

Garrus rose from the table, clearing his dish while grumbling under his breath. "The asari have been making that argument for centuries. They seem to think that schools like Grissom and Foreman barely scratching the surface in biotic children. With the kind of improvements made in implant development nowadays, they believe its safer now to teaching the advanced levels. They want to make it into some kind of brain race, to see who the stronger biotics are."

Feeling a tension headache coming on, Arayna got up and grabbed a bottle of painkillers from the counter and an energy drink. Only a month after getting her L3 implant and the migraines were just as bad as when she was an L2. The upgrade was a requirement for her as she got older, but as her eyes started to ache and the back of her head felt like it was going to burst, she was rethinking her situation.

"Finally I asked her why she was so obsessed with human biotics," she said, chugging down the pills in one breath. "She just smiled and said, 'Because one day we will end up in the Alliance, and one day we will all end up dead because we weren't strong enough.' She said, 'As much as the Alliance likes to pride itself into thinking that they are the military elite the galaxy likes to offer, that's hardly the truth. These teaching programs nowadays aren't enough to prepare you for real battle. Human biotics are hardly in the league to called super soldiers, especially given the evidence from its past failures. Failures, such as its' first human spectre.'"

A plate crashed to the floor. Instantaneously, a seething anger came over Garrus.

"What did she say?" he growled, turning away the dishes as his grew wide with rage.

"She called mom a failure, dad. Said that she wouldn't have died in the migrant fleet crash if she been a better and stronger biotic. That bitch…went as far to say that if I wasn't careful I was going to end up like her. Just another dead hero whose death accomplished nothing. That's when I slugged her with a shockwave."

And there it was.

The whole uncensored and unapologetic story of why his daughter attacked her teacher. It was because she was defending her late mother's honor against an arrogant woman's pitiless slander. Hearing it now, Garrus understood her actions completely. The attack was justified in his opinion. The sheer audacity of Unara T'Zeil to say such things about his mate was inexcusable. But to say it to the face of their daughter, seemingly just to provoke her to react made his blood boil like liquid fire.

At the same time, he ironically felt an immense sense of pride and satisfaction in his child's action. The asari got what was coming to her and his only regret was that he didn't have the pleasure seeing it happen. With his temper steadily cooling, he looked at Arie who was swirling her finger around the rim of her energy drink and watching him closely, waiting for his reaction.

"Funny. I didn't even know that you know how to create shockwaves" he joked.

"I didn't know either. That was the first time I actually tried," Arie replied with a smirk. "I guess this means I've advanced a grade. Oh wait, I forgot! I'm not going anywhere because I've been suspended from school and most likely will be sent off to a boot camp on Tuchanka or something."

"You actually think I would do that to you?" Garrus asked. "First of all, I'm completely on your side in this case. T'Zeli had no right to talk to you in that manner. She was acted irresponsibly, abused her position as teacher and knowingly endangered the lives of her students to satisfy her own ego. I'm going to make sure the head master knows this when I met with him tomorrow. And secondly, if I was going to ship you off anywhere, I'd send you to a salarian boarding school. I hear their math program alone with make anyone have a meltdown…"

"Wait, what do you mean you're going to talk to head master tomorrow?" Arayna asked. "You actually think that they're going to let me back in after what I did? Pft, I hate to burst your bubble but there's no way that going to happen, dad. Not even with all your 'connections.' Face it; I might as well pack my bags now and hit the next shuttle. "

She heard Garrus' heavy footsteps walk over to her and his talons rest on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze. "Relax. It's going to be okay. You worked too hard for too long to get throw out now. I'll make this right; you'll see. Besides, I don't need your mother's spirit haunting me because I let our only child become a high school drop out."

"Yeah, that would be pretty scary."

"Hey, your mother was a scary woman."

Arayna let out another long sigh and then gave the turian the best smile she could muster. "Thanks dad. Thanks for listening to me."

The turian nodded. "I'm here whenever you need me."

* * *

Arayna had never been a big fan of _Expel 10_.

Every so often the band would put out a new song on the extranet and her friends would practically stalk her until she gave them a listen. She would humor them but in her opinion, their music would never sound any different from their last quote-unquote hit. It all sounded the same to her. Now talk to her about _Atomic Space_ and it was whole different story. They were an underground human/turian alternative rock band on the rise whose every song spoke to her in some way or another. She became a fan of their loud and rebellious anthems from the first day she saw them play at the Dark Star.

Blasting in her earphones, Arayna bobbed her head back and forth in sync with the rhythm as she brushed her teeth. She hummed the words to herself as best she could without having paste dripping out the corners of her mouth. The music was her perfect escape from the day's event. It took her mind off everything that she had been through. She chose not to give the manner anymore thought least she wanted to risk another migraine. But every so often, the asari's harsh comments crept back in her subconscious and making her mad all over again.

As she rinsed out her mouth, Arayna had a chance to look at herself in the mirror, still fogged over from her recent shower. Carefully she studied her features of her face; the same face that her father would often tell her was the carbon copy of her mother's. From what she remembered from the history and old news vids, as well as her own memories, she could see just a hint of Shepard.

She had her green eyes. Her hair was the same midnight color, excluding the blue highlights, and her skin was the same milky white tone that contrasted the light pink of her lips. Everything else she assumed was either her own features or something she had inherited from her biological father.

A nameless man who she never known in her life and had no desire to ever met.

There had been moments growing up where she wondered if the world was expecting her to fill in the role of 'Shepard'. She had lived with that kind of pressure all her life, the pressure of being's 'Shepard's kid' as social creatively dubbed her. They seemed to believe because of what her mother had accomplished in her life, there was preordained destiny in store for her as well. That kind of thinking led to lot presuppositions about her, and a lot more property damage.

It didn't matter to her anyway. Arayna had learned to tolerate the good, the bad and the down-right ignorant of the public and endured their judgment of her with as much as her quick temper would allow her to. As far as she considered, everyone was a freakin' critic and she just had to deal.

As she was putting her toothbrush and paste back in the cabinet, she did a double take as she caught sight of a bottle of pills hiding behind the mouthwash. She pushed the mouthwash aside and grabbed the pill bottle. The label read: _Amiodarone – take 1 tablet by mouth twice daily. _Arayna popped the top open and started to count the pills. Letting out a loud groan, she stormed out of the bathroom.

"Dad!" she called. "Dad, where are you?"

"I'm in here!"

She marched down the hallway right into her father's bedroom. She found Garrus was sitting at his terminal, busily typing out reports and going over paperwork. She saw Tank sleeping comfortably in the center of the bed. Her weight had actually made the mattress sink just a bit. Garrus was so involved with his typing that he didn't look up as she entered. "It's late. I thought you were going to bed."

"Dad, did you forget to do something today?"

He glanced up for a second. "Like what?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe…" She shook the bottle of pills. "Remember these?"

That had gotten his attention. His attention no longer was on his console but on the pills Arayna was holding as well as the annoyed look on her face. "Ah, those. Yeah, I was going to get to those just as soon as I finished doing this."

"Uh huh. And when was that? Last week?" Arayna heaved a heavy sigh of frustration. "Seriously dad! The doctor told you that you need to take these for your heart every day and on time."

Garrus continued typing. "There's nothing wrong with my heart, Arie. Don't worry about it."

"Sure, classic last words. Honestly, and you tell me that I'm stubborn? What's so wrong with taking one little pill every day?" she argued, throwing the bottle on the bed. "The doctor wouldn't have prescribed them to you if he didn't think you needed them. And don't tell me to worry because I'll just do it anyway."

It was very hard to argue with his daughter. Sometimes it felt like he was arguing with Shepard all over again. Arayna knew how to talk circles around Garrus all in an attempt to make herself heard and ultimately wear him down. However he understood her concern. The years spent fighting the Collectors and the Reapers along with everything else the galaxy had to offer had started to take its toll on the turian.

His heart wasn't as strong as it had once been. He found it difficult at times to catch his breath and he had pains in his chest whenever he trained. The doctors concluded it as a form of coronary artery disease, brought on from exposure from a foreign toxin. It was in the early stages of development, and he had been prescribed medication to help it from becoming aggravated. Medication he had been reluctantly avoiding since he was diagnosed.

Call it turian pride. Perhaps he just didn't want to admit that he was getting old.

Closing out his terminal, Garrus rested his elbows on the desk and calmly stapled his talons together. "I'll take them before I go to bed. Don't worry."

"You promise?"

"Yes, I promise," he chuckled. "Now go to bed already kid! And don't forget to take that fat beast with you. I don't need her damn fur choking me in my sleep."

Arayna smiled in relief and walked over to the bed and picked up the fat cat with some strained effort. "Geez! You are one fat cat! I think you were right Dad. Maybe we should eat Tank."

"Best thing next to varren steaks I hear."

"Right. Night!"

Garrus waited until Arayna was out of sight and in her room before turning his terminal back on. Closing the different files and documents he had open, he typed in his password and entered his private mail. Hesitantly, he stared at the screen watching the cursor blink. He took a long drink from a glass of brandy he sitting beside him, allowing the alcohol to numb him. Then, drawing in a deep breath, Garrus spoke into the console. "Computer," he said, "access saved video message archive. Password unlock code, archangel. Replay saved message dated 5.23.2193"

The computer recognized his voice patterns, beeped several times before the screen open up the requested file. A grainy video played on his monitor of an empty ship cabin for several minutes before a dark hair woman came into view. She sat herself in front of the camera, adjusting it slightly and smiled warmly.

"_Hey there! It's me" _she greeted. _"I just got off duty so I figured I check in and see how you and Arie are doing."_

Garrus felt his chest tighten and his heart starting to ache as he listened intently to sound of Shepard's voice. Spirits, had it been so long...

(1)"_Sorry I didn't send you a message sooner. I cannot begin to tell you how busy is here on the Flotilla. Working with the quarians here never seems to slow down. I think I may have gotten maybe four or five hours of sleep since I docked here. Let me tell you; finding a place to sleep is not fun! Tali wasn't lying when she said this place has no privacy. I pretty much have to pass out on the floor and stake my claim wherever I fall. The atmosphere here is crazy, Garrus. Everyone is constantly moving, fixing something or doing some kind of work. But to be perfectly honest with you, it's kind of fun. It's exciting. I'm excited. The quarians have been waiting centuries to return to their home world, and now they're going to get their chance. I don't think I've seen Tali this happy in a long time. Oh, I wish you could see it Garrus. You'd love it." _

The video flickered for a moment, and then returned to normal. "_Still, it took a lot convincing to the Admiralty Board to allow the geth to work with the quarians on this. You want to talk about diplomacy? They were still pissed at me for that time I brought Legion on board for Tali's trial. So far no problems to report. The geth have actually been pretty helpful in getting the work done faster than anticipated. We should be done in about two more weeks, and then I'll be heading home. Anyway, is everything okay at home? Has babysitting gotten the better of the great Archangel yet? You know it's not too late to call my mom and have her take Arie off your hands for awhile if you want some free time to yourself. I know she can be handful sometimes._ _It comes with the territory with being five, I guess."_

On screen, Garrus saw Shepard's hand reach up and take hold of the dog tags around her neck in her hand.

The turian did the same.

"_Give my love to Arayna," _she said. _"Tell her mommy misses her every day and that I love her very much. Remember, don't keep her up past ten or let her watch any scary movies on the vids…oh who am I kidding? You're probably letting do that right now aren't you?"_

"You know me so well, Shepard…" Garrus muttered to himself.

"_It's getting late now, and if I want that empty space in the cargo bay, I better sign off now. I miss you. I love you. Forever and ever."_

Garrus drew in another deep and shuttering breath and quickly pushed pause on the video. He slumped in his chair, staring at the image of his mate on his monitor. He drank another glass of brandy, knowing that it would ease the pain clutching his heart and choke down the grief building in his soul.

"I love you too," he said. His voice was barely above whisper. Slowly, his talons reached out and carefully grazed the screen. "I love you."

**Musicial Inspiration:**

**1: "Dearly Beloved" - Kingdom Hearts II Original Soundtrack**

* * *

**Reviews, favorites and alerts are greatly welcomed!**

**Author's Notes: To my readers and to those who have messaged me asking me if Shepard is dead, expect a further explanation in the coming chapters. I've given you some idea as to how Shepard had died so far (surrounding an incident when the quarians were returning to their homeworld). I'm still experimenting with this idea seeing as how it came to me as I was writing this chapter. I'm open to any ideas/suggestions if you want to share them.**

**I totally winged it on the discussion of biotics, so pardon any mistakes there on my part.**


	4. Chapter Four: Family Affairs Part 1

Title: Skin Deep

Author: Ryoko Metallium

**Author's Notes: This...is so over due! I originally starting writing during the holiday season of last year (as you'll see in the opening sentence) and I had been slowly adding to it hoping that I would reach an ending at some point. I'm sorry that it took me so long to update. I have been swamped with other stories as well as personal issues. On top of it, I have been lacking some creative energy lately as most writer do something when they stress about their work load. Again, sorry for the delay.**

**Flashback time! **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect is t****he property of Bioware and EA Inc. I do not own these characters. I am only borrowing the characters. I promise that I will give them back.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Family Affairs– Part One**

**Illium; Seventeen Years Earlier**

It was hard to imagine that in just two more weeks, it would be Christmas.

For starters, there was nothing around that indicated that it was that time of the season. There were no Christmas decorations or displays, no Christmas music playing on a continuous loop through the sound system, no one dressed as Santa ringing bells for good will donations, and probably the biggest difference of all, there was no snow. That's what bugged Shepard the most. Not that she wanted to sound like a sentimental idiot, but Christmas just wasn't the same without snow. It was one of those holiday memories she treasured from her childhood, of playing in knee deep white slush with her cousins in the backyard of their house in New York. It had been years since the last time she indulged herself with the thrill of making snow angels or chucking a snow ball into someone's face.

Those were some good times.

Of course, Shepard didn't expect that experience to take on place like Illium with the atmosphere being as hot as it was. The temperature stood at an unswerving five-three degrees Celsius; unseasonable weather by Illium standards. The closest thing she would get that even resembled snow would be the occasional down pour, and even that was rare. It was actually her husband's idea to move to Illium. It was mainly an issue of safety. It may not have been as safe as Omega or the Citadel, but as a minimum the only thing that Garrus would have to worry about for the time being was the rent.

Staring out the window of her upscale apartment overlooking the Nos Astra trading floor, Shepard watched from the comfort of her recliner as the headlights of the evening traffic traveled passed by. Dusk was starting to fall. The sky had turned a warm orange and rose color with thin clouds drifting. The sun was sinking into darkness at a snail's pace; spreading out the last bit of light that bounced off the windows of the glass skyscrapers.

Shepard lazily groaned and stretched herself out in her chair, turning her attention back to the vid screen she had been watching for a good four hours. Her feet were propped up on the footrest and the back was tilted far back at a relaxing angle. She had spent the majority of the afternoon in a lazy stupor, still in her sleep clothes (a long tank top and sweats) while doing nothing except watch whatever happened to be playing on the vid. She had flicked through the thousand plus channels, finding nothing of particular interest (not one Christmas special) before finally settling on a talk show. She would've preferred watching _It's a Wonderful Life_, but apparently the broadcasting stations on Illium didn't value the importance of holiday movies as much as she did.

Christmas on the garden planet wasn't turning out as well as she had hoped. The lack of holiday spirit was partly due to the fact that majority of the planet's alien populace didn't celebrate it. It was sort of mind blowing to think that Christmas was considered as a 'human holiday', recognized only by some and not all. The half percent of humans living on Illium had their displays up but had to keep to at minimum in accordance to the city's energy consumption laws. Yet despite the fact the planet didn't observe Christmas in anyway, that didn't seem to stop the corporate market to take full advantage of the shopping rush. Stores hiked up their prices on almost all their products and advertisements plugged the latest gift items to their customers.

Okay, so it wasn't entirely different than on Earth

Shepard's own apartment had been humbly decorated with the Christmas trimmings. A small tree garlanded with lights and ornaments was nestled close to the window, deliberately placed to showcase its beauty. A few knick-knacks such as stuffed Santa dolls and snowman, garlands and lights were adorned here and there. Nothing too extravagant. Garrus had thankfully humored Shepard and allowed her to decorate their home as much as she wanted. The turian was one of those people who didn't quite understand the need for all the ornamental flare, but had figured that it meant something to his mate and chose not to fight her about it. In all honesty, Shepard got the feeling that Garrus sort of liked it. She caught him once or twice admiring her handy work with a childlike wonder, sometimes even asking Shepard if he could help.

Apparently, holidays weren't treated in such a way back on Palaven which was sort of depressing to hear. So after giving Garrus a quick run-through of the significance of Christmas, she had managed to get her turian husband on board the holiday bandwagon.

As the soap opera came to an end, Shepard figured it was time to revisit the kitchen. She had some trouble negotiating herself out of the chair's soft depth and the weight of her pregnant belly. After some seesawing, Shepard managed to heave herself to her feet. She groaned with every step as she waddled her way to the counter. The fridge was a mere five feet from her but it might as well have been a thousand. She moved at the speed of a beach whale, dragging her tired feet while she mentally checked off the all her body's complaints.

The throbbing back pain.

The feeling of nausea.

The persistent urge to pee.

Ah, the joys of impending motherhood.

"Urgh, can't wait for this to be over with," she grumbled to herself as she pulled open the fridge door. "Two more months Shepard. Just keep telling yourself; two more months."

Her eyes caught sight of a fresh package black forest ham and cheese hiding behind the milk. She grabbed it along with a jar of mustard, lettuce, tomato, a bottle of water and some bread off the counter. She heard her stomach groan loudly with hunger and then she groaned herself when felt the squirming little person inside her take a sudden shot of her panaceas. With a deep breath, Shepard padded her abdomen gently.

"Geez, aren't you impatient? You know, just be glad that I'm making us a sandwich and not reheating…whatever the green stuff is that your daddy made last night?"

If there was one highlight of being pregnant, it was that Shepard had the green light to eat pretty much anything she wanted. Over the last seven months, she had gotten used to her body's constant changes. If rampaging hormones weren't one thing, it was her ferocious appetite for, well, everything. Her cravings ranged from simply eating peanut butter straight from the jar to odd creations of rocky road ice cream and dill pickles. Her obstetrician had assured her that it was normal for a woman at this stage and to just enjoy it while she could. Which she had been doing heartedly, but not when it came to liking Garrus' cooking. As much as Shepard adored him, Garrus he didn't quite grasp the workings of a pregnant woman's sporadic cravings. What may have been good for a female turian to eat wasn't necessarily good for her. He may have meant well, but still she wasn't entirely keen on being his taste tester on turian delicacies.

With sandwich in hand Shepard took a deep satisfying bite, savoring the flavor with a rather gluttonous delight.

"Mmm…damn, that's good" she groaned, glancing down on her stomach. "And your _nana_ says I can't cook. This just proves that I'm not completely hopeless in the kitchen. I'm serious; this is…this is an awesome sandwich. And that's that not a word commonly used when describing your mama's cooking. You can ask anyone. Usually there's hazmat teams involved and includes the words 'not fit for human consumption'. So all things considered, this is actually an achievement for me. Yay for mommy!"

Shepard would often strike up conversations with her unborn child. It was something that she had gotten in the habit of doing since she had become pregnant. When she found out she was having a girl, she found herself having conversations for hours. She would talk to her girl about everything; the mundane things like the weather, what was going on in news, boys, or recaps of her favorite t.v. shows. She talked to her about what kind of world was waiting for her when she finally arrived, who she was and who her father was. More importantly, Shepard would tell her how she anxious to meet her.

She paused in between bites as she started thinking about her life leading to now. To begin with, she never imagined herself as one day becoming someone's mother. Her role as the iconic "Commander Shepard - Superwoman" had taken a backseat. The Alliance had given her leave from her duties and had given command of the Normandy to Kaidan Alenko. Their relationship had healed some following the drama with the Reapers and Cerberus. They had found a common ground with each other, though it did take some time, and had been surviving thus far just as good friends.

Secondly, her pregnancy had earned her considerable celebrity status with the general public. It wasn't like this was a new thing to her, but she had lost count at the amount of new reporters, gossip freaks and general busy-bodies that seemed to pursue her wherever she went. She groaned recalling the day that the secret was finally out. Almost overnight a media circus ignited with the paparazzi wanting an exclusive. The same paparazzi who stalked her with questions after she and Garrus were married now wanted to know if the baby she was carrying was the first human-turian hybrid. That sparked a whole other firestorm. There was an inquiry of aliens and humans, conservatives and liberals as well as a couple of overly curious salarian scientists that wanted to know if this truly was the case. They demanded an explanation.

Garrus was the one who took it the hardest. His first instinct was to protect his mate and his child from the malcontents who wanted to harm them. In the end, Shepard and Garrus gave _one_ interview to Emily Wong (seeing as how she was the only reporter that they trusted) and set the record straight for all the inquiring minds in the galaxy. They answered what questions they could without too into their personal lives. With the public's curiosity quelled for now, the two expectant parents had the chance to enjoy the time they had together.

That led to another problem. In true Illium fashion, the news that the humanity golden girl was expecting triggered an economic boom in sales. Every store, every boutique and kiosk advertized their keen interest in the Commander's patronize. If there wasn't an asari shopkeeper approaching Shepard with some sales pitch for their fashion line of maternity gowns, it was for everything else such as furniture, toys and clothes. There were even offers to be a spokes model from one company called the _Goddesss' Cradle_ that offered discounts and a very nice paycheck. It seemed that everyone wanted a piece of Shepard and to be a part of the impending arrival of the century. The offers were substantial, and considering the fact that Illium was an expensive place to raise a baby, the money would've put most of the financial worries to rest. But in the end, Shepard turned down the proposal. The public didn't know but she had accumulated other means of monetary support over the years (i.e. her secret connections with the Shadow Broker as well as some secret accounts). Also there were some very grateful space pirates out there that owned her a favor or two and she planned on cashing in at some point.

All things aside, Shepard found the anticipation of having a baby exciting…and a little daunting. Perhaps one of her biggest fears was what life would be like for her daughter. Never mind the celebrity or the attention she would have to live with from having famous parents. Shepard didn't have much experience with children. She found them to be loud, annoying sticky little creatures that demanded more attention that she was willing to offer. There was also good chance that her baby was going to get a lot of _unwanted_ attention too from some practically bad people. It was safe to say Shepard made some enemies in her time. She had pissed off a lot of rogue terrorist organizations, merc group and volus loan shark and any one of them posed as potential threats to her family's safety.

It was a thought that was always at the forefront of her mind at all times. But rather than be worry herself sick, she choose to be vigilant. The mother-bear in her swore the universe would be ablaze before she let anyone lay a hand on her child.

Cramming the last bit of her sandwich into her mouth, Shepard washed it down with bottled water that was followed with a deep satisfying burp.

"There; the tank is full" she said, rubbing her stomach. "That should keep you satisfied. That is until you decide to wake me up at three in the morning wanting another one. What do you say we go and see what your daddy is up to?"

Grabbing another bottle of water, Shepard walked out of the kitchen and started searching the apartment for her elusive husband. If she was correct, he was probably sitting at a terminal somewhere in the apartment, looking over parenting manuals…for about the hundredth time.

Garrus, spirits bless him, was probably the most excited about the baby than anyone else. He may have had reservations in the beginning about being a parent to a human child, but all that didn't matter as soon as they found out they were expecting. His doubts turned to resolve and ever since, he made a point that he was going to be a good father.

It had become his new mission.

As the months passed, Garrus loyally stood beside Shepard and assumed most of the responsibilities. Because Shepard could no longer work while in her condition, Garrus took charge and found a position at the police station. Detective Anaya, a friend who had known the couple awhile, pulled a couple strings for them and offered Garrus as an officer in her jurisdiction. He never would have admitted, but a part of him actually missed the life of a police man. He missed the thrill that came with catching a criminal in the act and the satisfaction of hulling his ass to jail. He missed the hunt and the sleuthing that came with being a good cop. And the hefty paycheck wasn't so bad either.

Garrus had also become very protective of his mate. Understandably, the workings of a human pregnancy were all completely new to Garrus. With him, it was almost like walking on egg shells with all his fears. He would spend hours in front of his terminal looking over parenting tips. The extranet provided him with a lot of information regarding the subject, including a medical pamphlet written by a krogan embryologist called "_What to Expect When Your Mate is Expecting: A Month-to-Month Guide for the Father to be, whether He Wants Advice or Not." _When Garrus wasn't glued to his terminal, the rest of the time was spent worrying about Shepard. He was attentive to her every need, always making sure that she was having the best possible care. He worried about her all the time. Ultimately Shepard had to stop taking Garrus with her to checkups because his constant questions of "Is this normal? Is this normal?"

The attention could be overwhelming at times and it only worse when her mother started to involve herself in their lives more and more. The soon-to-be grandmother had found herself with more free time now that she had retired from service. And to occupy that all that time she spent it at their apartment. Aside from practically taking over the household and most of the responsibilities, Hannah Shepard had developed a strange kinship with her son-in-law. She had become his go-to person with all his questions and all his fears which she so cleverly dubbed "baby paranoia". Shepard would probably never admit it, but it was nice having her mother come around as often as she did. Not only was it a relief to have someone that could keep Garrus calm, but also the family support brought a great comfort. It made Shepard feel safe having her mother close.

Even their shopping trips for baby supplies had started to become fun after awhile.

As Shepard searched through the different rooms of the apartment, she finally heard the sound of his voice coming from their bedroom as well as someone else. He must have been in the middle of a call, but with whom? Curiously got the better of her. As quiet as she could manage with her bulky mass, Shepard approached the automated door. Her solider training took over as she pressed herself closely to the wall and listened carefully.

"So, how did your appointment with the doctor go? What did he tell you?"

"_It went very well, but I'm going to have to see him again in another week_."

"Why? What's wrong?"

Shepard recognized the other voice; Garrus was speaking with his mother. She shouldn't have been surprised. Garrus kept in contact with his family, checking in on them back on Palavan on an almost regular basis. As the oldest son, he felt it was his duty to look in on their wellbeing especially his sister and his mother. As far as Shepard knew, Solana had been working as a neurologist at the Tenrian medical clinic. She was part of a diagnostic team in neurological diseases, mainly dealing with patients who had been suffering with Corpalis Sydrome. The same disease that Garrus' mother had been battling for some time. Marna had gone through some many extensive treatments and experimental procedures all in hopes it would eradicate her illness. Some worked, but most didn't. The last she heard she was in remission, but by the sound of the conversation, that was no longer the case.

"_Well, I told them that I have been having headaches so they gave me scan to see what the problem was," she heard Marna say in soft voice. "The doctors saw something in the film. There was a mass of some kind. They want to schedule exploratory surgery for next week_. "

Shepard felt her stomach clench as she listened. A tense silence past before she heard Garrus speak.

"Surgery huh? This'll be the first once since they told you that you were in the clear and you had nothing to worry about." Shepard could hear the clear disappointment in Garrus' voice and her heart ached for him. She knew right away what this news meant for him and his family. They had all suffered through his mother's illness together, herself included, and now they would have to going through it all over again.

"You would think that with the kind of money we paid the first time, they would have done a good job," Garrus grumbled.

"_Garrus, don't be bitter_," said Marna. "_Remember, they told us before that the treatment could fail and that there was a possibility that the disease could relapse. I've already spoken to Solana about this and she's telling me that I'm very lucky that they found it the mass earlier. This means there's a chance the treatment won't have to be as drastic this time._"

Shepard heard Garrus chuckle a little. "You're certainly don't sound as upset as I thought you'd be."

"_I'm being optimistic. You should try it, my son. It's good for the spirit."_

"Yeah mom, I hear you. I'll try."

"_Come now, Garrus. Let's not talk about this anymore. I'm more interested in hearing about you. How are you doing? Is Shepard alright_?"

Shepard smiled and actually did blush a little. Out of everyone in Garrus' family, it was his mother that was the most accepting of her. Marna welcomed Shepard in to her own from the day her son told her that he found his bond mate. Naturally, she was surprised when that bond mate turned out to be the galaxy's most famous celebrity and a human to boot. But none of that seemed to matter to the mother turian so long as Garrus was happy. Solana was on good terms with Shepard, but they weren't what one would say good friends. There was some tension between them, but it mostly centered on her being a protective sister and always looking out for her brother's wellbeing.

Both Marna and Solana were excited when Garrus told them he was going to be a father. Of course they were surprised when he told them that he was going to raise a human child. They had some natural concerns, but they remained supportive and never voiced opposition.

Garrus' father was a whole different story.

"Shepard is doing alright, mom" said Garrus. "She's doing really well, and so is the baby. She had a check-up just yesterday; so far everything looks to be going okay, or at least that's what the doctors keep telling me. I don't know; I'm starting to wonder if they're just saying what I want to hear so I'll stop asking questions. We've got about another two months before the actual delivery. There's still a lot that we need to get ready for though. Never ever told me how much work went into having a baby."

Marna laughed. "_No one ever does, my son."_

The conversation between mother and son continued on for awhile longer with Garrus telling his mother all they had been doing in time for the baby. He spoke about the extensive education in infant care he had been getting from his mother-in-law and the numerous shopping trips he had to make. Apparently, one could never have enough diapers. He told his mother about the strange human custom known as a "baby shower" that Hannah had been trying to coax her daughter into with little success.

Shepard had to stifle her laughter as she continued to eavesdrop. She let her mother get away with a lot of things, but having her throw a baby shower was just another headache waiting to happen. The last thing she wanted was her old crewmates crowded in her apartment and forced to play idiotic party games. After some time, Shepard was just about to enter the bedroom when she suddenly heard another voice come into the conversation.

"_Hello Garrus_."

There was a short, tense silence.

"Father…I didn't realize you were home."

Garrus' discomfort and uneasiness was clearly evident in his tone of voice as Shepard listened attentively. Garrus' relationship with his father had always been a strained one, but the two hadn't officially spoken to each other since he announced his marriage to Shepard. Theano Vakarian was a difficult man to understand. He had been one of those faithful veterans who lived and breathed the turian code of honor and principle. A true living example of what the hierarchy thrived for. He was a proud man; proud but stubborn. Unlike Marna or Solana, Theano wasn't as accepting to Shepard into his family. He implored to Garrus to break off his engagement, telling him that such a thing would only ruin his reputation.

Garrus refused, and so Theano disowned him. It was the final nail in the coffin for both of them, which made it interest as to why his father wished to speak with him now.

"_I was just on my way out to meet with Major-General Janus Geron for a commission's dinner, but your mother informed me that you were going to call. She…asked me to wait so that we would have a chance to speak." _Theano was being painful formal. Every word was dripping with a control distain. "_I trust that you are doing well? Your mother tells me that you've gotten a job working in transit security? Is that true Garrus?"_

"I'm not working in transit, father. I'm a junior detective at the forty-forth precinct in the Illegal Drugs and Weapons department."

"_You're a detective?" _Theano sounded impressed, and a bit shocked through he tried to hide it. "_Hmm, well, that's excellent work Garrus. That is quite the admirable position."_

"I…thank you, father. I'm glad that you think so."

"_Unfortunate though that you choose not to return to C-sec. I had been speaking with Executor Garon in making arrangements to see if we could get you reinstated. And it's regrettable that you're working on Illium. I've always found their definition of a justice system to be somewhat more lenient than it should be. Still, I suppose I should be relived then that you've returned to the force at all, even if it's not C-sec. At least you're not on Omega, playing vigilante as you were doing before." _Theano paused to take a breath._ "I'm relieved Garrus….You now have a job that you can take pride in. You're finally behaving like an honorable turian, something the hierarchy can finally be proud of."_

Shepard felt the pit of her stomach clench, as well her fists, with a building aggravation and need to rush in to give the disapproving jerk a piece of her mind. Not even a minute into the conversation and already he was tearing his son down. Thankfully, that didn't seem to faze Garrus any.

"Well, as much as I appreciate you looking out for my best interests, father, they're not entirely necessary. I don't have any intentions on returning to C-sec when I'm more than pleased with the career that I have now. You can give my thanks to Executor Garon for considering me though."

"_I see. Very well then, I guess if you're satisfied…"_

"I am, father. But thank you anyway." Garrus paused for a moment. "So, I don't know if mother has told you about anything else that's been going with me or if you've been pay attention to the rumor mill any. But, well, Shepard and I; we're starting a family the two of us. In about few more months, Shepard is going to have baby and I'm going to be a father. I imagine that sounds inconceivable to you; a turian father to a human child but there it is. What I'm trying to say here is that I know that we've had our differences in the past. I know that I haven't always been the son that you wanted. I may not be what the hierarchy envisions as the honorable turian, but I'm happy. I'm happy with my life and I..."

"_Garrus, I wish not to speak of this matter if it's all the same to you."_

Another awkward silence past. A minute past, and then two.

"Well then, I guess…I guess then I'll talk to you later, father."

"_Yes…goodbye Garrus."_

The call ended, and without waiting another minute longer Shepard walked into the room. There she found Garrus sitting at his terminal with his head bowed in deep thought. Shepard cleared her throat softly to get his attention. He looked up to see his mate standing there and scoffed, shaking his head.

"How much did you hear of that?" he asked.

"Hmm, just enough to know that we shouldn't expect to get a congratulations gift from dear ole dad anytime soon," Shepard replied with a tilt of her head.

"I wouldn't recommend holding my breath, that's for sure."

"You okay?" she asked cautiously.

Garrus nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Not surprised that my dad still hasn't accepted the fact that I'm living my life not according to him. I'm more concerned about my mom though, but Solana is with her. Don't worry about me Shepard."

Garrus leaned back in his chair, letting out a sigh as he reached out his hand towards Shepard inviting her to him. She smiled and walked closer to her husband. His arm curled protectively around her waist, holding her close while he gently caressed her baby bump. "Everything okay?"

"Uh huh. The gremlin was a bit fussy earlier but I calmed her down with a heavy dose of day-time television and a double meat sandwich. That seemed to do the trick."

"Where's your mother?"

"Where else? Out shopping and taking advantage of our celebrity, hoping she can land herself the best deal on a crib." Shepard's fingertips traced along Garrus' fringe, soothingly outlining his rough spots along his leathery neck. He purred lovingly, nuzzling his cheek close to her while he felt the baby's subtle movements. "I hadn't heard from you for awhile. I figured you were in here doing more research or something."

"For awhile there I was," said Garrus, switching on a file on his terminal. Several documents flashed on the screen. "I had contacted Doctor Michel's clinic on the citadel earlier in the week, asked her to forward me any information she had regarding childbirth."

Shepard gave Garrus her not-this-again look. "Hon, I love you. I love you more than anything else in the galaxy, but you've got to ease off on all the health-related searches on the extranet. Especially if it's health-related to me. I understand that you want to be well-informed and everything, but all you're doing is scaring the crap out of yourself. Seriously, you've got some major gray going on here."

Garrus gave Shepard his own look. "Nothing wrong with being over-prepared. Michel sent me some really helpful notes, plus a few vids of births she assisted on. Care to watch them with me?"

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"Shepard, it'll help the both of us to be prepared, to know what to expect when the time comes."

"Trust me, hon. I already know what to expect. My mom has been more than forth coming with that information since I told her I was pregnant; I don't need a visual." She planted a quick kiss on Garrus' forehead and then flopped herself on their bed. "Besides, you think you're the only one whose been doing research? I've got a lot more free time now that I'm not commanding anymore. Reading baby books has becoming my main source of entertainment nowadays, so I've had time to formulate my own game plan."

Garrus chuckled. "Why am I not surprised? So, what is the plan Shepard? Any chance that'll be thermal explosions and massive gun fire involved?"

"Ha ha, very funny smart-ass," Shepard grumbled, arching her brow. "The plan is to be as doped up as possible with enough meds and pain killers to last me the entire labor. Seriously I intent to be as high as a kite by the time this kid is out, or at the very least, considerable numb from the chin down."

"Can't handle a little pain, Commander?"

Garrus immediately dodged as a pillow was launched at his face. "Whoa, hey! I was just kidding!"

"Yeah right, you're real hilarious Garrus. How about this? You be the next one to get pregnant and we'll see how funny it is when you have something the size of a watermelon shooting out of an opening the size of lemon. Then we'll see who can handle 'a little pain' then."

"Hmm…you know, I read somewhere that there are some women who prefer to avoid analgesic medication. They consider it harmful to the baby. They recommend using alternatives like mediation or water therapy. Asari midwives seem to be pretty popular for some reason." By the glare that Shepard was giving him, Garrus guessed that he was annoying with too many facts. He suddenly felt sheepishly like Mordin, over analyzing a subject to death. "Okay, I'm driving you crazy with all this, aren't I?"

"Maybe a little," Shepard said, and then smiled regardless. "But you have good intentions. Plus, bearing in mind that this is our first kid, I think a little bit of paranoia can be for us."

"I just don't want anything to go wrong, Shepard," Garrus hesitated." I don't want to anything to happen to you, or the baby. There's too many what-if's, too many worst case sceneiros to think about and I..."

Shepard's expression softened. "I know...believe me. I know."

The chair creaked as Garrus rose from it and sat next to Shepard. He reached his hand over to her, holding it in his lap. He stared down at his rough talons and her smooth long fingers as they linked together as best they could. His mind was going a mile a minute, remembering all the dangers that he read about in childbirth. He thought about the kinds of complications that could happen, all that could possibly go wrong. Everything that the doctors had told him could happen. He didn't want to think about it, but there was a risk that he could lose them both. Despite what his father thought of his life, this was everything that he wanted.

He loved Shepard more than he could possibly describe. He couldn't imagine his life without her.

"I have been sort of insufferable I don't know how you've been able to up with me," he said sympathetically.

"I've sort of come to the conclusion that since you're not able to calibrate any weapons system as of late, you had to find a hobby somewhere." Her fingers curled tighter around his as she reached her head on his shoulder. "I know that you're worried and for all the right reasons. You want this to work out. So do I. It's okay to be scared. Hell, I'm terrified. Face it; this is…this is new territory for the both of us. It's not like we can go at this with our usual tactical sense of style."

"Yeah…I think I've slept easier on Omega than I have in last few months."

"We'll be fine." Shepard turned her head and brushed her lips against his scars, kissing the jagged patterns and craggy lines. "You haven't let me down yet."

"And I don't ever intend to either."

Grinning, Garrus' forehead connected with Shepard and the two remained that way for seemed like hours until the voice of Hannah Shepard interrupted the silence.

"I'm home! Kat? Garrus? Where are you guys? Get out here and help me! I've only got two hands!"

Shepard groaned. "Damn it, she's worse than Joker…"

"Sounds like she found her crib though."

"Great! You can help her put the damn thing together then."

Garrus paused, making a face. "Me? Why do I have to do it?"

"Quit your whining!" Shepard said, punching him in the shoulder as she squirmed from side to side, trying to get off the bed. "If you calibrate the Normandy's gun, you can build a freaking crib. Now help me up; I have to pee again."

* * *

**Author's notes: Garrus' father was the hardest to write considering that his character hasn't been explored in the series. I wanted him to be seen as this very tradtional man who didn't approve of his son's decisions, but the more I wrote him I worried that I made him come off as nothing but a douche dad. I really hope I did okay with him because we will be hearing from him again in the future. Also, I think Garrus' overprotectiveness would go into overdrive in this kind of situation. It just seems like the sort of thing that would happen to turians when their mates are expecting. Plus, this just something cute about Garrus being all...domesticated (Thank you Rockin' Muffin!)**


	5. Chapter Five: Family Affairs Part 2

Title: Skin Deep

Author: Ryoko Metallium

**Author's Notes: Before I say anything else, let me say how sorry I am for the extreme long absense! Believe me when I say that I've had a hell of time with this chapter, along with other things. I've so many interruptions. Writer's block, infected computer, having to do several re-writes, personal issues, more writer's block, Dragon Age 2, even more re-writes, lost of interest, Skyrim; safe to say that I've been busy. It also didn't help that my OCD kicked in and I've been obsessing on just _one_ chapter.**

**I'm serious when I say that too. I've had several ideas pop into my head over the course of nine months on a slew of different genres, but knowing my track record of starting something and never finishing, I just couldn't allow myself to start another project. Especially when this one was so well received. **

**I'm forever grateful for those who hung in there and waited ever so patiently for this update. I do this for you people. Your postive reviews kept me going and focused. **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect is the property of Bioware and EA Inc. I do not own these characters. I am only borrowing the characters. I promise that I will give them back.**

**Chapter Five: Family Affairs – Part II**

* * *

Shepard was no stranger to pain.

During her time serving in the Alliance and later as a Cerberus crony, she had accumulated a whole laundry list of injuries and war wounds. She had been shot at more times than she could possibly count, had once been stabbed in the gut by a batarian's battle knife, had both her legs were broken when she faced down a wave of indoctrinated krogan that rewarded her in six months of grueling rehab. She had to have her knee replaced at least four times on four separate occasions, and once, she even drank ryncol on a dare that resulted in a three week hangover. Oh yeah. And at some point in Shepard's career, she had the rotten-luck to get herself spaced and die of suffocation.

And strangely enough, even with all those unfortunate events, none of it quite matched the pain that Shepard was feeling at this given moment.

"FUCK! Oh God, fuck…fuck fuck fuck fuckity fuck!" she cursed loudly through clenched teeth. Holding onto her bed railing for support, Shepard bowed her head between her arms and let out a deep grunting moan. Her eyes were glued shut in concentration as her breathing became more and more pronounced. Her legs trembled, her knees threatening to give out beneath her. Sweat dotted her brow with droplet trickling down the side of her face. Every muscle and every nerve was taut and felt as if it was on fire. "Christ almighty, this fucking hurts!"

Behind her Garrus was gripping her shoulders, squeezing them and providing support as she leaned forward against the railing trying to ease her discomfort. She felt his palm move further down, pressing against her lower back relieving some of the knotted tension that was building up there. He said nothing, rather stood quietly while allowing his laboring mate cuss all she wanted.

"You're doing fine, Shepard. Just concentrate on your breathing." The midwife, an asari matriarch named Ressa, stood nearby keeping a close eye on the monitors that were measuring the length of the contractions. A human nurse was assisting. "You're almost there. Another minute and you'll be passed this one."

"I…nnngh…I fucking hope so."

She began panting hard. Her grip on the railing was so hard that her knuckles had turned bleach white. She gasped as her stomach suddenly rippled and the pain grew stronger. The beads of sweat that formed on her brow started to roll down her face and crawled into her eyes with stinging blindness. Everything was a haze of cramped up pain and gasping exhaustion. Over and over she repeated a coaching matra of _breathe-breathe-breathe. _The pain was relentless and utterly unforgiving. Her heart was hammering in her chest so hard it was making her hard to take in a breath. The extreme pressure building up in her loins was like a hot poker shooting straight up into her stomach. But after what felt like an eternity, the pain started to gradually ease away. A pained mew escaped Shepard when she felt the sweet relief of her muscles finally loosening.

Exhaustion hit her like a brick wall. Whatever strength she may have had left in her vanished instantly and Shepard's knees buckled under the strain. Had Garrus and the nurse not been there to catch her, Shepard doubted that she had the power to pick herself off the floor. Her grip on the railing released and she fell back against Garrus' chest, panting groggily. For the briefest second, the world paused. Her senses were in a clouded daze; nothing existed. She could barely feel anything other the persistent throb between her legs. She was only dimly aware of Garrus's arms around her, picking her up and putting her back in bed carefully.

"Oh…oh crap, that was a big one." She licked her lips, swallowing hard to relieve her parched throat. "I think…I think that was the worst one so far."

"How are you holding up?" Garrus asked her, his tone heavy and serious. Shepard felt the bed at her back as Garrus lowered her to the mattress, holding her steady until her head was against the pillow. He gingerly pulled the blanket over her, taking great care in making sure that she was comfortable. A small, drowsy whimper escaped her, followed by a deep sigh of relief when she was finally settled under the sheets. "Do you need anything?"

"A shot of bourbon would be nice. Tequila would be even better," she groaned. A sheen of perspiration glistened on her forehead. Her lips twisted bitterly, holding back a wince at the sharp stabbing spasms that were firing off continually in her back. She breathed out slowly, counting the seconds until it passed. "Hell, how about you get me a bullet to bite on for when the next one hits?"

Garrus risked a scoff. It was amazing but somehow, despite the obvious anxiety he was feeling, Shepard's ability to be sarcastic even when she was in full-blown labor was enough to calm his already strained nerves.

"Hey, relax, big guy. No need to get all grim on me." She flashed him a weary smile for extra reassurance, touching the side of his cheek and turning his face towards her. She was breathless as she spoke, her lids fluttering with fatigue. "I've still got a lot of fight left in me. Don't worry."

Within seconds the worst of the pain eased, endorphins kicking in that awarded an overwhelming sense of grogginess. Shepard rolled over and laid on her side, hugging her pillow and pulling her knees up with one arm tucked protectively underneath her swollen bump while enjoying the silence. It was the momentary reprieve that she had come to enjoy greatly. It wouldn't last long. If she were to trust the frequent pattern that the contractions were coming, she had about a ten-fifteen minute break to catch her breath before the intense cramping started up again. That didn't give her much time to do anything other than prepare herself.

Labor was proving to be everything Shepard had imagined it would be and then some. It was exhausting work and it was excruciatingly hard. Not that she had any delusions that it was ever going to be easy. What had started out early that morning as a series of quickening flatters of discomfort had evolved into a storm of persistent pressure. Even with the time she had invested into reading pregnancy books, she couldn't help feel slightly unprepared whenever another spasm came on. Each time seemed to be much stronger than the last. There had been moments when a contraction would flare up with very little warning. At that point, Shepard couldn't do much other than breathe through it and wait for it to pass. The pain had been tolerable at first, but that quickly changed as time went on.

The midwife had been a virtual god sent. She was an old woman, roughly around the age of eight hundred years old. But of course being an asari, she didn't look to be any other than fifty by human standards. She had very motherly features to her; soft loving blue eyes, flawless violet skin, a calming voice and a very patient smile. She had a comforting aura around her that, by some means, defused the tension in the room, making the atmosphere feel much more tranquil.

It was a great help to Shepard as the hours ticked by. Even when she was in extreme pain and her mood was at its absolute foulest, Ressa remained cool, calm and collected. She tolerated Shepard's cursing fits with the sincerest grace, at times even encouraging her to just "scream it all out." The woman knew her stuff well, which was one of the reasons why Garrus had hired her. Midwifery was a serious and honorable profession within asari culture; just as honorable as it would being a high priestess or a council woman. Ressa was one of the best, having been delivering babies of every species for well over six centuries.

She took her job very seriously, and for the soon-to-be parents, it was nice to know at least someone knew what they were doing. Her years of experience helped quill some of the anxiety that had been building.

Shepard also had to give credit to the Illium Medical Center; they knew comfort. Upon check-in, she was half expecting to be given the standard treatment as any other patient. Instead, a private room about the size of a hotel presidential suite with a view overlooking the city-skyway had been offered. It came with round-the-clock care as well as security, a feature that Garrus opted to have to prevent any interruptions from the paparazzi. With all these perks, Shepard had the feeling that her husband may have had something do with their lavish accommodations.

Just another reason why she loved him.

"You're progressing nicely, Shepard," said Ressa as she read over the machines print-out with her omni-tool. "The baby's heartbeat is strong, and she's in a good position. Are you sure that you don't want an epidural? I have one administered to you while you're waiting for the doctor to arrive. Trust me; it's going to be awhile before you're ready to deliver and you're going to need your strength."

Shepard gave a weary sigh. "No, no I'm okay. I want to hold off on drugs. I can…I can do this."

"You know, I won't think any less of you if you decided to go ahead and take something for the pain," Garrus joked, sounding a bit sheepish. "You don't have to prove anything to me, Shepard. I already know how big a badass you are."

Shepard attempted to offer a smile and even a laugh as she struggled to keep her breathing controlled. "Ha ha keep it up, Garrus. If I was trying to be a badass, I think I would be enjoying myself more right now."

Ressa interrupted. "Shepard, I'm going to need you to lay on your back for a second so I check out how far you're processing."

"Fine." Groaning Shepard begrudgingly did as she was told, lifting her legs up and parting her knees as Ressa sat between them. Garrus looked away, not wanting to stare while midwife examined his mate.

"That looks uncomfortable," he pointed out the obvious.

Shepard laughed anyway. "You think so, huh? You should try doing when you're not wearing pants."

A couple of uncomfortable pokes and prods later, and Ressa brought down the sheet over Shepard's knees.

"Alright, all finished here. You're at four centimeters, completely normal for this point. Go ahead and get yourself settled in, but if the contractions start to get stronger or if they don't feel right, don't hesitate to tell me."

As the midwife backed away, she flashed Garrus a friendly and assuring smile before going about her business. Garrus shot back a nod before taking a seat in a chair next to Shepard's bed. He reclined beside her; a heavy sigh escaping him as he brushed his hand across his fringe. The past six hours had been nothing but a whole lot of heavy breathing, screaming and enough foul language to destroy anyone's self-esteem. He would never admit openly, but Garrus wished Shepard would agree to the epidural. Not only would it give Shepard a chance to rest, but for him as well.

"You sure you don't want to contact your mom and let her know what's going on? I'm sure she would want to be here, Shepard."

"I sent a message to her before we left the house, but she's on Earth right now. I…I don't think she's going to make it in time." Her gaze met his, her eyes glazed over with crystalline groggy. A sheen of perspiration glistened on the column of her neck as a fragile smile appeared. "I imagine that this wasn't how you planned on spending a Friday night, huh?"

"Not really, but it's not like I'm not enjoying myself so far. I've gotta say, Shepard. You know how to show a guy a good time," Garrus teased. "But, if you're starting to have second thoughts, I could always pull the car around. I think I can sneak us out the back. Once we're home free, we'll start hitting the bars. How does that sound?"

Shepard breathed out slowly, heavily before smiling. Her eyes closed dreamily. "That sounds…so fucking great right about now." Her breathing paused at the thought. "It's surreal to think that after tonight, everything is going to be different for us. We're trading in mercenary killing for 3 am feedings and diaper changes. I never thought that I would say this, but I think I'm actually going to miss it. I never saw myself as the domestic type, packing school lunches, scheduling play dates or just general mommy stuff. This feels…so bizarre."

Garrus had become very silent while Shepard spoke, taking in every word she said with deep consideration. It wasn't as if he didn't understand what Shepard was hinting at. He had been feeling exactly the same as her for quite awhile. This moment didn't seem real to him. Every so often, his eyes drifted towards her enlarged belly as she tentatively rubbed it back and forth. As he listened closely to the rapid _thump-thump _sound ofa strong heartbeat coming from the fetal monitor, he couldn't help but be in a little bit in awe.

It was hard to imagine that in matter of a couple hours, they would have a child together. More importantly, they would have family. The concept made his head swim and his stomach drop.

Shepard noticed his abrupt change of demeanor. "So…you nervous?"

He leaned in closer, his expression uncertain. "I'll put it this way; I'm optimistic."

Shepard's brow furrowed. "Okay…that's one way to look at it, I guess."

Garrus snickered. "Yeah, I'm trying to practice with my mother preaches. She says it helps." As he sat silent, everything suddenly clicked into place for him. It was actually happening. The sudden realization was almost overwhelming as his mandibles twitched with excitement. He rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling. "It's just…hard to wrap my head around this. By the end of today…you're not going to pregnant anymore. You and I…we'll be parents, Shepard."

"I know. Weird, isn't it?" Her subtle laughter changed into a deep groan as she fidgeted, changing positions back to her side and reducing the pressure that was building on her back. Simply rolling over took a great effort. Her breath hitched and her chest tightened as her stomach rolled sickeningly. She caressed her bump quietly, breathing slow and deeply until the queasy feeling had passed. "One thing's for sure; I am not going to miss this. This is worse than being hung-over. Shit, I can't relax, my head is pounding and every time I move, I feel like I'm going to vomit."

The human nurse came around, checking on Shepard's I.V. drip while placing a cool, wet washcloth across her forehead. She was a round, portly woman with withered face that awarded her the kind of beauty one would see in someone's grandmother. "It's normal for new mothers to experience nausea when in labor, but to be safe; I'll get you some ice chips. It'll help keep you from getting dehydrated. If you're feeling up to it, you could try taking a walk for awhile. It can relieve some of the tension you're feeling and might help speed up the labor."

Shepard couldn't help but scoff at the very idea. 'Walking' wasn't something she thought herself physically capable of doing at the moment. The inner voice inside her head warned her that it was a bad idea. She was certain that her legs would buckle the moment she touched the floor. The image of a crew of orderlies rushing to her aid to get her off the floor was too humiliating to chance. There was just no way. Plus, waddling up and down the maternity ward in the standard-issue yet _very_ unflattering hospital gown they had her wear didn't sound all that fun either.

She was uncomfortable enough already.

"Not right now. I don't exactly feel up to doing laps. I doubt I'd get very far even if I tried." Deflating against her pillow, Shepard resumed her timid stroking of her belly, rubbing it in small tentative circles. It seemed to help as the churning discomfort faded into a dull throb and the nauseous burn at the back of her throat disappeared. "I'll wait, but thanks anyway."

Standing as if he was summoned, Garrus rose from his chair and approached the bed. He took a seat near her feet, the bed frame creaking slightly underneath his solid weight. Leaning back, he regarded her silently, watching her closely in silence with his eagle-sharp eyes. Lying back, sated with one hand holding her stomach, Shepard looked almost peaceful. Her eyes were closed as she held the washcloth to her forehead. No longer sweating, her head lulled off to the side. She shivered as she felt the sense of lightheadedness rush over her suddenly, followed by an urge to sleep.

"Names." Garrus mused offhandedly. "You know we never decided on a name."

"Hmm…can't we do that later?" Shepard muttered softly.

"Can't put it off forever."

She could only shake her head wearily. "Fine."

Coming to a decision on what could be considered the 'perfect name' had proven to be not an easy thing. The main reason that whenever they tried to figure it, neither Shepard nor Garrus could seem to reach a common ground. It was perhaps the only thing they argued about during the pregnancy. When it came to choosing a name, it meant more to Garrus than it did for Shepard. It was a turian tradition that a fine-fitting name would help establish one's social standing within society in the future. A strong sounding name illustrated authority and trust whereas a weak one could mean possible disgrace.

Both Shepard and Garrus had their favorites and would banter at each other on an almost daily basis.

"Where did we leave off last time?" she asked sleepily.

"S."

"Hmm…Sofia. It means 'wisdom'."

"Sania. It means 'sunlight,'" Garrus countered.

"Simone. 'God's voice.'"

Garrus pondered it for a moment, giving it considerable thought.

"Sidra," he went on. "It means 'From the stars above.'"

"Not bad. Let's put that in the maybe pile for now. What about…Serena? My mom's been throwing that one around for awhile."

"Sure, let's keep that one too. How does Sabara sit with you?"

"Forget it," she protested. "That sounds like a drink you'd order at Afterlife. I always thought Sarah was a nice one. It's a classic and pretty simple."

Just then, his voice became soft, humble despite his natural coarseness. "What do you think of…Arayna? I know that we went through all the 'A's' already, but...it was my grandmother's name. I just got to thinking that…well, maybe my mom might enjoy the idea of having her first grandchild named after her mother. I know that the two of them were close, as close are you and your mother are. I know what it would mean to her."

"Garrus…" Her hand reached across the bedding, grasping his left hand tightly. The turian did not hesitate to accept her, allowing his fingers to weave together with hers as he squeezed them back. Looking into her face, he could see her green eyes starting to glitter like emeralds with unwanted tears. Yet she smiled nonetheless. "You can be a damned softie sometimes, you know that?"

"I take it that you like it then?"

Shepard nodded. "It's perfect, Garrus. That's the one."

If someone had told Shepard a long time ago that Garrus Vakarian, the Archangel of Omega, the embodiment of terror among mercenaries and evil-doers alike, could as sentimental as a mother's day greeting card, she wouldn't have never believed it. It actually surprised her. But it was then that she realized that his capacity to love and care for people was beyond anything she had ever seen in a person. Such emotions were rarely seen in turians, and yet Garrus bore them proudly and without shame.

God, she loved him. There was no illusion about it, never was. Through every mission they've had been through together, every seemingly inescapable situation only made them a greater team. Marriage had worked wonders for him; she could hardly imagine what fatherhood would do. Somewhere, deep down she knew that that wasn't something she had to worry about. Garrus was going to be a great father, she was sure of it. There had been time with she wasn't sure how they were going to do pull this off, but just knowing that she had him on her side helped stomp out any linger reservations.

The serenity of the moment was then shattered when pain erupted in her abdomen.

"Oh shit…oh shit!" she exclaimed, arching as both hands rushed to her bump.

The pain flared inside her like a gunshot, every sensation blotted out by a sheer magnitude of agony. The contraction was like liquid fire, white-hot and searing through her veins, building as she heard herself gasping for a breath. She would have screamed if she could, if she was able to find enough oxygen to do more than just whimper helplessly. Her flesh was starting to stretch and pull to an unbelievable extent. Her body was too tight, too sensitive. All the sensations were threatening to overtake her, enflaming every cell and nerve as she cried out at last.

Her eyes widened in what Garrus could only describe as pure fear. Having never witnessed that level of panic in his mate before, he sat up immediately from the bed. Within a manner of seconds, the midwife and nurse moved into action to offer their aid as Garrus wrapped his arm around Shepard's shoulder, helping her sit forward. Her hand franticly searched for his but found his wrist instead, holding it with a vice-like grip. Garrus could feel the bones in his arm bend and start to separate but he paid it no attention.

"It's never a dull moment with you, is it Shepard?" he winced. His attempt to inject humor into the situation didn't seem to help as her already powerful grip became ten times stronger, her breathing sounding close to a grunting water buffalo.

"Do yourself a favor, Garrus," she gasped, moments before she cried out in far greater pain. "Don't try to be funny…especially when I'm capable of ripping your arm out of the socket and beating you to death with it."

Rather than try his luck and incurring his mate's wrath, even in her current state, the turian decided to keep his jokes to a minimum. All the while keeping an eye on the clock on the wall nearby and counting down the minutes as they ticked by.

* * *

Another four hours passed.

People came and went regularly, whether it was hospital staff or visitors coming to offer their congratulations. One by one, they came in a congregation into Shepard's room. Tali was the first one to arrive, followed a half-hour by Liara and Joker. While the woman exchanged pleasantries, Joker offered an early gift to the soon-to-be father in the form of celebrity cigars. He made Garrus promise that they would share a smoke in honor of the emending arrival. Unfortunately, Shepard could barely register their presence before she was overwhelmed with pain. They left soon after, choosing to camp out in the waiting room for any new development.

Time went by with even more visitors. Garrus was surprised when his sister arrived, but even more so when he saw that Solana had brought along their mother as well. He truly had not been expecting anyone from his family to come at all. His ties to his father had been severed for over a year, and he had thought that his mother's illness prevented her from traveling. His sister greeted him with her usual dry and sardonic demeanor that he had grown up with, giving her well-wishes to the both of them before joining the others in the waiting room. His mother stayed in the room with them for a time, choosing to sit with Shepard and talk with her through her labor pains. Shepard didn't seem to mind. She and Marna had a close relationship with each other, and her presence helped make her feel more at ease.

It must have seemed odd to everyone in the hospital to have so many aliens coming together just for a human baby. But Shepard wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Her crew had been like her family, and they anticipated the impending arrival with as much excitement as did the new parents.

It didn't very long before the contractions were coming in what felt like constant waves. The continuous barrage of pain coursed through every muscle and nerve was paralyzing. There was only a second reprieve between each contraction before another powerful burst would erupt; hitting her hard and Shepard would be screaming her way through it. There would be no warning; just pain. The best way to describe it, it was being slowly slit open from her groin to her breast bone with a searing hot knife.

"Keep breathing Shepard. You're doing fine. You're at nine centimeters," said Ressa, looking up from her examination. "You're almost there."

How Shepard was suppost to feel good about that statement was beyond her.

"Wasn't I at eight centimeters last time you checked," she panted, sweat dripping down her face. "How much longer is this going to take?"

"Try and stay focused. I know that it hurts, and I know that it's hard, but you're doing exceptionally well. It won't be much longer, trust me." Ressa covered Shepard's knees with a sheet in an attempt to preserve her dignity, patting her knee gently. "The doctor should be here in a few minutes, after which we'll go ahead and wheel you into the delivery."

Shepard's hand found Garrus' quickly, squeezing it hard as her eyes fluttered in an attempt to stay awake. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. I'm running on empty here."

"You can do this, Shepard." Garrus drew in a deep breath as he settled in beside her, allowing her full weight to lean against him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to hold her up. Her head slumped against his chest as she panted. Taking a cube of ice from the cup, Garrus glided it along Shepard's dry lips. She moaned softly in approval. "I know you can do this."

With the contractions were growing in strength and frequency, the sudden change in Shepard's condition had warranted a whole new set of concerns for Garrus. Being cooped up in a hospital room for hours on end didn't exactly ease the anxiety. Time seemed to dragging, every painful surge pushing the seconds to the absolute limits. The pains had become so powerful, so physically draining on her already weakened state. The nurses had given her oxygen to help her breathe easier. Her moans sounded muffled over the mask on her face. The sheer force of the pain had made her ill at some point, but thankfully the midwife was fast enough to rush in with a basin.

"Where the hell is that damn doctor?" she moaned. A long guttural groan escaped her as she fidgeted restlessly. "Nnnnnngh…shit! This kid isn't going to wait much longer!"

Garrus' mandibles twitched fretfully, holding Shepard close to him while she moaned in agony. Reading her expression and seemingly knowing what she needed, he pressed his forehead against hers. Her skin was so warm to the touch, feverish. It was difficult not the notice the sheer exhaustion in her eyes. She sank into his embrace, tittering in the edge of blanking out. "You're almost there, Shepard. It'll be over soon."

Marna remained quiet at her side, occasionally giving her shoulder a squeeze or brushing back her hair. Unlike her husband, she had eagerly looking forward to arrival of her first grandchild. She was excited to be a grandmother, regardless of species. To her, it didn't matter. With being in treatments to combat her illness, Marna had come to cherish whatever time she could get with her family as possible. The notion of spending that time with a new baby filled her with an excitement she hadn't known since her own children were born.

If time could be going any slower, Shepard would've sworn that it had stopped altogether. The pain was substantial, but somehow still manageable. But what she was beginning to fear the most was the immense pressure starting to build in her uterus. She was positive that it was baby, pressing against the entrance to the birth canal and stretching her to the limit. She resisted the urge to push, but instinct was telling her that the baby was there and was ready.

If it wasn't the extreme cramping that was getting to her, just about everything in the room was an annoyance. The constant movement of the nurses walking in and out of the room was distracting, the distant chatter of voices outside were too loud (and getting louder is seemed), even Garrus's unvarying encouragement was making her grind her teeth. Her biotics flared to life as she cursed in irritation with another passing contraction.

Garrus stumbled back, ready to duck for cover in case his wife decided to start throwing equipment. "You're going to give yourself an aneurism if you keep that up, Shepard."

"Urgh, shut up Garrus!" she countered harshly, looking at him with a terrifying glare. Her fingers dug into the edge of the hospital cot as her face went completely purple. "Just shut up! Nnnnrgh! Ah! If that damned doctor doesn't get her ass here soon, I swear I'm going to shoot someone. I promise; somebody is going to get a bullet in their ass _real _soon!"

If Garrus was in any offended by that, he didn't show it. To his credit, he took her outburst calmly. Parenting manuals had prepared him to expect radical mood swings. Any anger he might have was quickly calmed only by the repeated mental insurance that she wasn't herself at the moment. Rather it was the contractions making her so bitchy.

Still, seeing Shepard go completely unhitched was somewhat humorous to watch. He kept his humor to himself rather than risking his mate's wrath.

Thankfully, luck seemed to be on both their sides when minutes later, the doctor appeared in the doorway. Shepard's mood perked up instantly upon the new presence in the room, once again becoming very agitated and fidgety. But mostly, she was glad to see it was a familiar face. Dr. Chakwas regarded the laboring woman with a smirk, shaking her head as their eyes met. "Oh Thank God it's you! Chakwas, tell these idiots that I'm about to pop over here!"

Ressa surfaced from between Shepard's legs, turning towards the doctor with a look of approval. "You've arrived just in time. She's not kidding; she's fully dilated."

"Well, no reason to be hanging around here," said Chakwas, still grinning. "Let's go have a baby, shall we Commander?"

After waiting so long, even Garrus found it hard to maintain his composure anymore. "About time!"

* * *

"Take a break, Shepard. Catch your breath, get comfortable, and you can start pushing again."

'_Bloody hell…'_ Chakwas was asking a hell of a lot. She might as well have asked Shepard to drop and give her twenty while she was at it. She was having enough trouble just trying to start conscious at the moment. Forget about getting comfortable. With her legs up in the stir-ups and her lady parts on displayed for all the world to see, it was more about keeping her dignity intact than comfort. But at this point, Shepard didn't so much care about her pride rather than the task at hand.

She was glad that Garrus choose to stay in the delivery room with her. But judging from the squeamish look on his face, she wondered if he would've been better off pacing in the hallway like all expectant fathers. He looked on in silence, holding her hand while the midwife wiped off Shepard's forehead. Leaning back against the pillows, she panted hard and fast, practically gasping for air and sweating bullets. The urge to push again came very quickly and she sat up with Garrus and Ressa's aid.

At Chakwas' instruction, she bore down. Her face turned deep red as she strained, her voice confined by clenched teeth trying to propel the baby further out. She crushed Garrus's hand painfully, digging her nail deeply into his palm. She distinctly heard him wince, but he said nothing. Ressa cleaned off her forehead as she whispered words of encouragement. "That's it. Come on, Shepard. Push hard. One. Two, three, four, five. Push hard, push hard, push hard. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten."

Chakwas's head disappeared between her legs and then popped up suddenly. "And…rest."

Shepard gasped deeply as her head fell back into the pillow. "Anything?"

"You're doing great, Commander," said Chakwas. "The baby is starting to crown now. One more time, big push."

A pained grunt escaped her this time as she pushed once more. For his part Garrus remained strong, putting aside his own discomfort for a later time and centered all his attention on his mate. He was certain that his hand was probably broken, but that didn't matter now. His pain didn't matter. He hushed warm declarations of support into her ear, urging her on as she slumped against him, catching her breath. Pushing was constant now, and Shepard looked like five miles of bad road. Her eyelids drooped closed; clear indication that sleep was itching to claim her.

"Again."

"I can't…I can't."

"Yes, you can Commander. Come on, I need you to push again."

Garrus' grip tightened, offering her silent reassurance.

"Just…just give me a second, alright," she said, her mind swimming through a numbing fog. A deep breath was drawn as she braced herself against Garrus' chest, his arm cradling her back. Her eyes squeezed shut and she bit into her lower lip, hard down enough to that a thin tickle of blood oozed along her chin. "Nnngh! Sssshhittt!"

Second later, Shepard let out a loud sharp scream as she suddenly sensed the baby starting to shift. She could herself stretching again, her body being pulled apart to limits that she was certain were inhumanly possible. She paused for air, then pushed once more hard enough that her ears suddenly popped and her head felt like it was going to burst. Then, she felt something significantly large pass through her as Dr. Chakwas's shoulders leaned in closer, her hands delicately maneuvered underneath her thighs.

"Almost there, Shepard, almost there. Come on, big push big push big push!"

At the corner of her eye, she noted that Garrus's eyes had grown considerably wide in utter amazement. His mouth muttered silently and his mandibles spread in awe as more came into view. He quickly looked to Chakwas, seemingly worried about what he was seeing. She assured him with a nod, affirming that everything was alright. It was a big relief to him that she was here. Chakwas knew what she was doing. Having her here kept him sane.

He couldn't think of anyone else that he trusted more with Shepard and his child's wellbeing, to make sure that there would be no complications with the birth.

"The head is out!" she announced, an energized smile appearing on her face. An extra nurse seemingly appeared out of nowhere, draping a towel over her arms in preparation of the baby's long-awaited appearance. Using suction, she cleared out the baby's nose and mouth of mucus. "You're nearly there, Shepard. One more push, and I can get the shoulders out."

Shepard groaned in mock-annoyance. "No, I can't. That last one was it for me. I'm done."

"Come on, Shepard. One more," Garrus chimed in.

Already his voice seemed so far away. "I'm serious, Garrus. I can't…I've got nothing left."

"Commander, listen to me. I really need you to push." Chakwas' tone became uncharacteristically demanding. "I promise. One more big push and that's it. No more than that."

"Okay…Okay, one more and then I'm calling it a day." Slipping her hand away, Shepard reached up and grabbed her knees, pulling herself forward. Taking in a deep breath, she pushed harder than she had done before. She stopped once to catch her breath then continued. Time moved to an agonizing crawl. She was obliviously to the world around her, deaf to Chakwas coaching her and only aware of the large presence that was slowly passing. The strain was so powerful she finally let out an ear-piercing scream before falling back onto the pillow.

Then, everything came to an abrupt stop.

No one spoke. There was nothing between her legs except the lingering ghost pain that was already starting to dull itself. A rush of body numbing endorphins surged through Shepard to where her greatest desire now was to sleep. It didn't take long before she heard a low whimpering sound, followed by a piercing shirk that filled the room. The sound tugged at something in Shepard's chest and she lifted her head up to see Chakwas wrapping something small and wriggling in a towel.

"It's a girl," the older woman breathed. Her own eyes shined with tears that she was fighting not to shed. "It's a healthy girl, Shepard."

"Is she okay?" Shepard whispered, tiredly. "Is she alright?"

"She's perfect. Nice and loud; just what we want to hear."

The baby continued to wail angrily as she was carefully placed on her mother's chest. Ressa moved in and began towel-drying it clean of blood and birthing fluids. All that jostling seconds after being born only seemed to make her even angrier. Her mewing cries pulled Shepard back from the painless haze she had slipped into, a place where she was reluctant to leave. Sleepily, her hands moved up to her chest to hold the child close to her, cradling her as she cried.

"Garrus, would like to cut the cord?" Dr. Chakwas asked, handing the turian a pair of surgical scissors.

Shepard had momentarily forgotten that Garrus was even there, too caught up in the post-labor drama to recognize what was happening around her. The turian must have felt out of place as he looked hesitant to move or speak.

"I don't…I don't think I should. I mean, I don't want to hurt her," he managed to say.

It was understandable for him to be nervous and apprehensive, but Chakwas assured him that it was perfectly normal and harmless procedure for human babies. She clamped the cord properly and Garrus tentatively cut through the malleable cord connecting child to mother. As soon as that was finished, Shepard got her first glance at her daughter. Her cries slowly ebbed as she found comfort against her mother's heart and already, she rustled in search of a breast. She had been born with a head full of dark hair, wispy and delicate that stuck to her scalp in slick curls. Her skin was flushed crimson-pink and smooth, and her eyes were two dark pearls wide open and staring up at her bewildered parents.

"Hey you," Shepard cooed, cupping her head as she kissed her hair. "You remember me? I'm your mommy. You tried to kill me, didn't you?"

She turned to Garrus, whose eyes had not once left the newborn. He was in a complete marvel at the tiny creature looking at him with just as much as equal confusion. It was as if she was waiting for him to say something momentous upon their first meeting, but all he could manage to do was stare with his mouth hanging open. It wasn't exactly the first impression that he had wanted to give to his child.

He leaned in close to the bed, clearing his throat nervously. His expression softened and his tenor became hushed. "Spirits…I had no idea she'd be this tiny…and pink."

A quiet ripple of laughter passed through the room. It amazed everyone to see just how weak in the knee he had become all of a sudden, how dumbfounded the sight of his child made him. Truth be told, he didn't know what to expect. This was his first time seeing a human baby, and to him, it was like witnessing something extravagant. He was hesitant to touch her, even when her small arm seemed to reach for him. He looked to Chakwas, seeking her permission.

"Wait for a moment," she said, busily delivering the afterbirth. "You need to wear protective gloves to cover your talons before you pick her up. Baby skin is highly sensitive and delicate."

"Don't worry, Dad. You'll get your chance soon enough," Shepard said with heavy fatigue.

The validity of those words hit him hard. He blinked and his voice caught in his throat. He chuckled nervously, grinning from ear-to-ear and pride brimming in his eyes.

'_Dad…that's me.'_

Shepard hushed her daughter again as she started to whine, kissing her forehead softly as her cheek rested against her tiny head. "Shh shh, it's okay. I'm here, sweet girl. I'm here."

Garrus put his hand over Shepard's and together they rubbed small circles over the infant's back. No sooner than that did her cries start to fade and her mood settled. "She has your eyes, I think."

"You think so, huh?" His deep voice dropped to lower levels than natural as their eyes met. The baby regarded the turian with subtle whimpers and coos. "Hello there. Do you…know who I am? I'm your father."

Mini fingers uncurled and brushed against Garrus' skin that actually sent chills through his body. They were so small against his seemingly enormous palms. How in the world was he going to hold her? Love squeezed his heart like a vice, unspoken emotions he was fighting like hell to keep in check. Shepard, on the other hand, wept openly as father and daughter continued to gaze at each other in wonder.

"I'm your father, little Arayna. That's who I am," he said, earnest and sincere. "I'm your daddy."

* * *

**Author's Notes: And that, ladies and gentleman, is the end for this chapter! I think it's safe to say that there was some serious Garrus fluff going on in this chapter. I am planning to write a companion story to go with this. A couple of snippets that chronicle the adventures of parenthood. Again, my love goes out to those who stuck with me and waited for this update. I really hope that I didn't disappoint anyone. **


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